PolmoniAMO_INGL

14 in smoking prevalence, i.e. today’s cases correspond to yesterday’s smokers. This means that the documented increase in tobacco consumption among women, if not ad- equately addressed, will have a considerable impact on the health statistics of the future . The link between the disease and the smoking of cigarettes has created a so- cial stigma over time , thus fostering a lack of public empathy and attention towards lung cancer. To this day, there is still a stigma attached to this oncological disease which has distanced the idea of prevention from those with a tobacco habit. In addition, this stigma makes many people blame those at greatest risk, deeming them undeserving of care and attention because they are guilty of having a ‘bad habit’ and making a ‘bad personal choice’. This attitude is detrimental to dedicated medical research (lung cancer receives less funding than breast cancer, prostate cancer or leukaemia) [21,22] and makes patient care less equitable (compared to those with other cancers) as it has created significant social disregard for the problems and needs of lung cancer patients. The media also exacerbates this negative mindset to the point that many smoking patients ask for their diagnosis not to be disclosed out of shame of being labelled as guilty, with the result that there is a high chance that the start of cancer treatment will be delayed [23]. Despite the efforts made so far in terms of awareness-raising and information campaigns, the messages conveyed appeared to be insufficient or not tailored to the age of the target population. In this regard, there is an increasing need to diversify communication channels and to deliver messages that are immediate, simple and not easily misinterpreted and that raise awareness of the importance of taking care of one’s own health, explaining that stopping smoking can be a first step in this direction. Former smokers, in particular, tend to overlook their symp- toms by attributing them to previous smoking and, burdened by feelings of guilt and the fear of unfavourable diagnoses, they postpone their medical consultations, thereby dangerously and irreparably delaying the time of diagnosis. For heavy smokers or former smokers, the availability of regular screening would provide an opportunity to assess otherwise neglected symptoms and would ensure timely treatment with increased chances of cure and lower healthcare costs. 1.4 Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT): an under-exploited public health resource Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is currently the most suitable tool for the early detection of lung cancer [24-34]: it is effective in detecting small lesions (in the millime- tre range); it is quick and easy to perform (30 seconds); it is non-invasive and does not require the use of contrast medium. The radiation dose emitted during the procedure is