The American Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Roundtable strategic plan: Changing the lung cancer story: Addressing survivorship, stigma, and nihilism to facilitate transformation

Innovations across the lung cancer continuum, from risk reduction through end-of-life care, have transformed the lung cancer landscape, and are dramatically altering the trajectory of lung cancer outcomes. Although the lung cancer community has been infused with optimism and hope regarding these positive developments, persistent societal perspectives regarding lung cancer and the complex relationship with smoking have been substantially slower to change. These barriers constrain the implementation of innovative and effective care, and hinder progress toward reducing lung cancer incidence and mortality. To address the prevailing societal barriers, the American Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Roundtable (ACS NLCRT) launched the Survivorship, Stigma, and Nihilism Task Group (SSNTG) soon after the inaugural 2017 ACS NLCRT meeting. Engaging a diverse group of individuals and organizations with expertise in these cardinal domains, the SSNTG, which consisted of clinicians, advocates, and researchers representing different disciplines and experiences, convened to develop a strategic plan to improve lung cancer survivorship and eliminate lung cancer stigma and nihilism as essential components of achieving optimal lung cancer outcomes. The SSNTG established a trilateral mission and launched the Campaign to End Lung Cancer Stigma and other efforts to support lung cancer survivorship and address lung cancer–related nihilism and fatalism. This commentary highlights the multilayered work of the SSNTG, including (1) background justification for each of the three targeted areas, (2) active initiatives to reduce lung cancer stigma and nihilism and improve lung cancer survivorship, and (3) next steps that the task group plans to pursue to support the ACS NLCRT mission.