By Alisha Keshwani
Alisha and Alina Keshwani are both sophomores at the University of Michigan on the pre-medical track. They are the founders and Co-Presidents of the University of Michigan Chapter of the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative (ALCSI) and have been actively involved in health advocacy since high school. Through their work, Alisha and Alina have been deeply moved by the stories of those affected by lung cancer, motivating them to advocate for equitable healthcare access and systemic change. This summer, they had the opportunity to be in Boston and take a more hands-on and large scale approach to the lung cancer screening community engagement and research work they have been doing.
Our journey with the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative began during high school when we joined the national team. It was an opportunity to dive into meaningful work that aimed to raise awareness about lung cancer screening. However, it wasn’t until we founded the University of Michigan Chapter of ALCSI that we truly grasped the profound disparities existing within the field of lung cancer. This journey has been marked by eye-opening moments that revealed the extent of inequities in lung cancer screening access and health outcomes.
As the chapter’s founders and Co-Presidents, we were tasked with spreading awareness and promoting lung cancer screening throughout clinics and community events around Michigan. One of ALCSI’s initiatives, the “Plus One Campaign,” aimed to shift the focus from individual screening eligibility to a broader community perspective by asking community members if they know someone who is eligible for screening rather than asking if they themselves are eligible. We encouraged people to think about their friends and family who might need screening, highlighting the fact that lung cancer can affect anyone, not just those traditionally considered at risk, while also building a network of potential individuals whose lives could be saved by screening.
At a community event, we met a woman who shared a poignant story about her father, who had died from lung cancer. He was a non-smoker, and because of the stigma that lung cancer primarily affects smokers, they never considered that he could have lung cancer. This encounter was a powerful reminder of how misconceptions and a lack of awareness can lead to missed diagnoses and preventable deaths.
Another impactful moment came from speaking with a family advocating for improved screening awareness after their mother passed away from late-stage lung cancer, not knowing that she was eligible for screening. The frustration and sorrow they felt when realizing too late that early
detection could have made a difference truly resonated with us, confirming the importance of the work we are doing. Their story was a stark illustration of the systemic barriers faced by many, particularly those in low-income and minority communities, who often lack access to healthcare and proper screening information. Furthermore, lung cancer screening is a foreign concept to many community members, showing us just how important it is to not only get eligible individuals screened but also work to educate the public on a broader scale about lung cancer screening and how it can save lives.
Once lung cancer is diagnosed, patients continue to face challenges through their treatment journey. For example, when speaking to a lung cancer survivor months later, a particularly troubling aspect of lung cancer stigma emerged as we learned many patients would “wear pink” to their medical appointments to strategically associate themselves with breast cancer, a disease seen as more sympathetic and less stigmatized. Patients felt that by aligning themselves with a more “socially accepted illness,” they would receive more compassionate care. This stigma that lung cancer is a self-inflicted disease has far-reaching consequences. It not only discourages individuals from seeking screening but also affects the quality of care they receive. To combat this, we need a cultural shift in how we view and treat lung cancer patients. This involves public education campaigns to debunk myths and highlight the diverse causes of lung cancer, such as environmental factors and genetic predispositions.
Healthcare providers also play a crucial role in this shift. There needs to be a concerted effort to train medical professionals in understanding and addressing their biases. Compassionate, non-judgmental care should be the standard for all patients, regardless of their smoking status or the type of cancer they have.
Our journey with ALCSI has been a profound exploration of the harsh realities faced by lung cancer patients. It has shown me that awareness alone is not enough; action is essential. It has shown us the urgent need for advocacy to address not only the medical aspects of lung cancer but also the social stigma and deep-rooted inequities that surround it. The stories of patients and families we have encountered are a call to action, urging us to challenge misconceptions and advocate for a more equitable healthcare system.
We hope these stories inspire you to think about your role in making the healthcare system more equitable, whether by supporting public health initiatives, educating yourself and others, or fostering a more compassionate attitude towards patients with lung cancer. Together, we can work towards a future where lung cancer patients are treated with the respect and empathy they deserve, and where access to care is equitable for all.
For more information about ALSCI or lung cancer screening, visit: alcsi.org or email umichalcsi@gmail.com to get involved at the University of Michigan!
