Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away, said Maya Angelou. It is easy to read this and think of awe-inspiring breathtaking moments, but what about that moment that will take your breath away, forever? Could your last breath be stolen by lung cancer, South Africa’s greatest cancer killer?

Did you know that cancer affects one in four South Africans, through the diagnosis of family, friends, colleagues or self?

Angie Oeh and Mark Pilgrim are two South African celebrities who don’t seem to have a lot in common, when in fact, they share their final breath being taken by cancer’s greatest killer, lung cancer. We live in a world where celebrities are considered ‘untouchable’. We often don’t pause to think about how they are regular people, proving that lung cancer can happen to anybody, no matter your societal status.

According to the World Health Organisation, 8950 lung cancer cases were reported in South Africa in 2020, of these reported cases, 69% occurred in males, and 31% occurred in females, making it the second most common cancer in men and fourth most common cancer in women in South Africa.

Lung cancer has one of the lowest survival outcomes of any cancer because more than two-thirds of patients receive a diagnosis too late or lack access to innovative therapies for curative treatment, proving a need to raise awareness to encourage early screening measures in patients.

The impact of this disease goes far beyond the statistics, leaving many families grieving for their loved ones often while they have to carry the financial burden the disease brings with it.