Telling a patient about a lung cancer diagnosis is neither easy nor pleasant. Unlike other types of cancer, the possibility of a cure is very low, the treatment options are slim. The vast majority of patients cannot be cured.

If you have lung cancer, it is still worth seeking good medical treatment, having the healthiest lifestyle possible, and getting as much support as possible. Remember to maintain the best possible quality of life.

Smokers don’t like to be told about quitting, but it is a must. We must not feel guilty, we must help. Many more lives have been saved in Canada by anti-smoking campaigns than by treating this type of cancer, even by the best surgeons and oncologists.

D^r Dominic Larose, M.D., CMFC (MU), FACEP