Breaking the Silence Around Lung Cancer

30 July 2025 – As the world marks World Lung Cancer Day on 1 August, the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) is calling for greater compassion and awareness around one of the most stigmatised cancers. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths globally, but myths and blame continue to cloud understanding and response to this complex disease.  

This year’s theme is ‘Stronger Together: United for Lung Cancer Awareness’. “It emphasises the power of unity,” says Lorraine Govender, CANSA’s National Manager: Health Programmes. “It’s about individuals, communities, healthcare providers and governments coming together to support lung cancer awareness, early detection, prevention and research.”  

Govender points out that the theme not only encourages collaborative effort and highlights early detection it also aims to reduce the stigma associated with lung cancer. “Too often it’s assumed that a person with lung cancer must have smoked. This not only oversimplifies the causes of the disease, but it also creates shame and isolation for survivors.”

A Deeply Holistic Battle

Marcel D’Allende

One of those survivors is Marcel D’Allende, a corporate transformation and change manager, as well as a life and consciousness coach, who lives with stage 4 lung cancer. “I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in December 2021, just days before my 55th birthday,” she says. “So, it was ‘happy birthday and, by the way, you have cancer’.  

“It felt unreal. Just weeks earlier, I had completed a four-day, 80km hike through the breathtaking Baviaanskloof in the Eastern Cape. I was in better shape than most of my peers. But a persistent cough, which had started to interfere with my hikes, turned out to be something far more serious.”  

D’Allende says that what she has come to learn is that the cancer journey is more than just fighting the disease. “It’s a deeply holistic battle that reshapes your entire mental and emotional landscape.  

“My diagnosis shattered my world in an instant. Fear, uncertainty and the physical toll quickly became overwhelming. It was easy to become consumed by appointments, treatment plans and the looming unknown.” D’Allende adds that she realised early on that neglecting her mental wellbeing would undermine her physical healing.  

“The anxiety of scans, the fatigue from treatment, and the emotional weight of confronting mortality can be crippling,” she says. “On my darkest days I found solace in small but powerful rituals that included gentle walks, reading and listening to music. These acts of self-care grounded me.”  

But D’Allende says that from the outset she was determined not to be defined by her disease. “We all carry labels. My labels include daughter, wife, sister, friend, hiker, trailblazer and adventurer. Cancer was never going to be the only story people saw when they looked at me. I have had to gently but firmly guide my loved ones to see all of me.”  

She adds that she also established emotional and social boundaries to support not only her own wellbeing but to help others engage with her in ways that felt empowering rather than limiting.  

“Focusing on the positive, staying hopeful and making space for joy has been essential,” she says. “Of course, not every day is the same. There are days when thoughts creep in: Will it come back? What if it spreads? Will there be treatments left? I allow those feelings space, then gently redirect myself to uplifting thoughts and nourishing activities that help me feel alive and present.”

No-one Deserves Cancer

Stigma around lung cancer arises largely from its historical association with tobacco use. But research shows that up to 20% of people diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked. Risk factors include second-hand smoke, air pollution, radon exposure, occupational hazards such as asbestos and genetic susceptibility.

“One of my dearest friends, a lifelong non-smoker, was also diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer,” says D’Allende. “Cancer does not discriminate. This is a truth more people need to understand.”  

Govender adds, “Lung cancer is not a punishment. It is a disease. No one deserves cancer and no one should face it feeling judged or alone.”  

D’Allende says she smoked on and off throughout her adult life. “When I was first diagnosed, the guilt and shame hit hard,” she admits. “I kept blaming myself for smoking even though I’d always tried to balance it out with a healthy lifestyle including good nutrition, regular exercise and staying active.”  

Eventually she realised that whether smoking caused her cancer or not was irrelevant. “The point was that I didn’t walk into a Woolworths or Checkers and ‘order’ this disease,” she says. “I had to find a way to reshape the conversation in my head that ‘cancer was not a punishment’, forgive myself and move forward.”  

Choose Empathy Over Judgement

Govender also points out that stigma is not unique to lung cancer. Skin cancer, liver cancer, cervical cancer, as well as head and neck cancers are also often accompanied by judgement. These assumptions, such as, blaming skin cancer on sun exposure or cervical cancer on lifestyle choices, can lead to silence, shame and delayed diagnosis. “In other words, stigma can kill,” says Govender. “We must choose empathy over judgement.”

That’s where CANSA’s support services play a crucial role. The organisation offers a wide range of services to survivors and their families, including: 

• Tele-counselling: Available in most official SA languages, CANSA’s telephonic counselling service connects survivors with trained counsellors for free, confidential emotional support. 
• Support groups: In-person and online groups provide peer encouragement, information and a sense of community. 
• Care centres: Located across the country, these centres offer stoma and medical equipment hire, wigs, prostheses, and guidance regarding pain control.
• Screening and early detection: CANSA facilitates access to screening for various cancers, including those that may not initially present obvious symptoms. 
• Educational materials and resources: These help to demystify cancer, reduce fear and promote healthier lifestyles.

Access to services can be arranged via CANSA’s website at www.cansa.org.za or by contacting their toll-free call centre on 0800 22 66 22.  

That said, beyond the excellent support tools offered by CANSA and other organisations, D’Allende believes cancer survivors are responsible for their own wellbeing, whether it is physical, mental or spiritual.   

“With a strong, resilient mindset, you can overcome more than you ever imagined,” she says. “This disease may challenge us in unimaginable ways, but it doesn’t get to define who we are. The journey of healing is as much about rediscovering life as it is about treating the illness.”

Let’s Change the Conversation

On World Lung Cancer Day, CANSA honours D’Allende and thousands of others like her who are living with courage and purpose. This is a day not only for raising awareness but also for amplifying voices that are often drowned out by stigma and misinformation.

As Govender puts it, “Lung cancer survivors deserve to be seen, heard and supported without prejudice. Let’s change the conversation.”

(For more information, please contact Lucy Balona, Head: Marketing and Communication at CANSA at email lbalona@cansa.org.za. Call 011 616 7662 or mobile 082 459 5230)

Published: 31 July 2025 | Last Updated: 23 September 2025
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, Advocacy, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Media Releases & News, Men's Health, Women's Health