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A study confirms long-held suspicions that lung cancer, the leading cancer killer of both men and women, is seriously underreported when compared to other major cancers. Of 600 randomly selected cancer stories that appeared between August, 1999, and July, 2000, 61% reported on breast cancer, 23% on prostate cancer, 17% on colorectal cancer, and nine percent focused on lung cancer outside of tobacco and smoking issues. This is especially significant since more Americans die each year of lung cancer than the combined deaths resulting from breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the media coverage of the four major cancers, including volume and types of stories, topics addressed, and the impact of awareness events and celebrity outreach. It was commissioned by Cancer Care, the Oncology Nursing Society, and The Wellness Community and was developed in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute.

The study found that lung cancer coverage is overshadowed by tobacco-related issues. All together, there were 105 articles that mentioned lung cancer (about 17% of the coverage), but nearly half of these did so in the context of tobacco litigation and smoking issues, leaving 54 articles (nine percent) addressing lung cancer itself. This vastly differs from coverage of breast, prostate, and colon cancer, which focused mostly on treatment, research, and detection. For example, of 243 articles discussing treatment, nearly half were on breast cancer, 28% on prostate cancer, 16% on colorectal cancer, and just nine percent were related to lung cancer.

"Unfortunately, we were not surprised by these results," notes Diane Blum, executive director of the patient support group, Cancer Care, Inc. "We know that lung cancer is a deadly, yet preventable disease, and that people should not smoke. But we think that part of the story is being overlooked. New strides are being made in detecting and treating lung cancer and we need to better communicate these to the news media so that patients can learn about the latest information in new therapies, clinical trials, and support services."

The study further demonstrates the overwhelming ability of celebrities to draw attention to cancer issues. Breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers generated significant news attention through a number of celebrities who were affected, either directly or indirectly, by the disease. Television host Katie Couric significantly raised awareness of colorectal cancer on her program "The Today Show" after her husband died of the disease, while New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's prostate cancer diagnosis drove coverage to peak levels. Only one celebrity was quoted speaking out about lung cancer--two-time Tour de France champion cyclist and testicular cancer survivor Lance Armstrong.

Cancer patients derive an incredible amount of hope and encouragement from hearing other patient stories. This study unveiled a significant lack of personal stories about lung cancer--just 10. On the other hand, there were 73 articles about breast cancer patients, 15 concerning prostate cancer patients, and 11 on colorectal cancer patients. "We need to hear more stories about lung cancer patients so the public understands that patients need compassion and respect," Blum argues.

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