Lung cancer is seriously under reported in Irish media compared to other types of cancer, according to new research.
An analysis of the reporting of different forms of cancer undertaken by the Irish Cancer Society indicates that references to lung cancer are disproportionate compared to incidences of the disease in Ireland.
Moreover, the research indicates that when lung cancer is discussed in the media it is usually referred to only in the context of smoking issues.
The overall five-year cancer survival rate is just 10 per cent and the disease is the leading cause of cancer death in Ireland.
According to the most recent statistics from the National Cancer Registry, 1842 people were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005, and the Central Statistics Office recorded 1627 deaths from the disease. In the same year, there were 2353 cases of breast cancer and 681 deaths from the disease, and 2406 cases of prostate cancer and 537 deaths.
The quantitative analysis of articles undertaken by the Irish Cancer Society looked at references to breast cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer in all Irish daily newspapers, Sunday newspapers and national magazines from 2004 to 2006.
It found that breast cancer was referred to in 5175 articles, prostate cancer in 1325 articles and lung cancer in 1664 articles.
Although lung cancer appears to receive more attention than prostate cancer on the surface, coverage is scant when references to lung cancer in the context of smoking issues are removed, the study found.
"The vast majority of lung cancer coverage in the print media is overshadowed and defined by tobacco-related issues, and does not focus on explaining signs and symptoms of lung cancer to promote early detection, highlighting advances in research and treatment and presenting stories of hope and survival, " said Norma
Cronin, health promotions manager with the Irish Cancer Society.
"As a very conservative estimate, we calculate that approximately one third of lung cancer coverage analysed
in our research was primarily about smoking matters. The period in question also saw the introduction of the
Workplace Smoking Ban and all the debate and coverage that followed," she added.
According to the research, coverage of breast cancer in the Irish media almost doubled in the three years from 2004 to 2006, with an increase of 93 per cent. Irish media coverage of prostate cancer increased by a substantial 60 per cent, while media interest in lung cancer increased by just 38 per cent.
Two seminars looking at targeted therapy for lung cancer take place in Dublin and Cork today and tomorrow.
