LUNG cancer patients battle inadequate care because of the stigma of the "smokers disease", Liverpool campaigners said last night.
Patients, carers and experts from the city's Roy Castle Lung Foundation called on the Government to acknowledge the poor state of care in the UK.
They travelled to Westminster with representatives from Macmillan Cancer Relief to meet health minister Rosie Winterton and launch a new Lung Cancer Patients' Charter..
Every year, lung cancer kills 38,000 people, more than leukaemia, breast and prostate cancer combined and one in 10 sufferers have never smoked. But lung cancer only receives 4% of the national cancer research budget and falls behind other diseases in care, information and treatment for patients.
Mike Unger, chief executive of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation said people look at lung cancer as being "self inflicted".
He said: "Lung cancer kills more people than any of the other major cancers, yet in terms of care it falls well below them.
"For example, there are 350 lung cancer specialists in the country - the first one was taken on by the RCLCF five years ago - while there are 1,500 breast cancer specialists. Every cancer patient should have access to information and have a good standard of care - that should be their basic right in a civilised society."
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