Lee Hye-young rebukes prejudice against non-smokers with lung cancer

Actress Lee Hye-young has shared her candid feelings regarding the prejudices and malicious comments she has faced during her battle with lung cancer. Criticizing the social tendency to link illness to an individual's lifestyle or moral character, she urged for greater understanding and compassion toward patients.

On the 16th, through a video titled '6.25 War Veteran Father and Incheon Native Lee Hye-young' uploaded to her YouTube channel, Lee revisited various parts of her hometown, Incheon, sharing childhood memories and family stories.

In the video, Lee visited places where she had lived for a long time, interacting naturally with citizens. During the process, locals recognized her and greeted her warmly, expressing concern for her health and offering words of support.

Regarding the public interest, Lee said, "I feel like I've become healthier while filming for YouTube." She continued, "It was good to try various things, and reading posts from people in similar situations gave me strength. I also felt sorry because it felt like I was only talking about my own pain."

In particular, she addressed the negative reactions directed at her following her lung cancer diagnosis. Lee mentioned, "Among the comments, there was a story saying, 'I had a hard time because lung cancer found me even though I am a non-smoker,'" and shared her thoughts on the social prejudice surrounding the disease.

She emphasized, "Non-smokers also get lung cancer frequently. You can get lung cancer even if you don't smoke. It's not like only people who drink every day get stomach cancer, nor is it that only people with constipation get colorectal cancer."

She further explained that illness is a complex issue that cannot be explained solely by an individual's lifestyle, stating, "It seems that being vulnerable to stress can also manifest as cancer."

Lee also delivered a message regarding the social gaze directed at cancer patients.

She said, "You all must never look at someone who has lung cancer with eyes that ask, 'Was that person a heavy smoker?' Since sick people have hurting hearts, please offer kind words."

This holds significance as it goes beyond simply sharing her own experience to raising issues about the stigma and prejudice surrounding illness. In modern medicine, the causes of cancer are not defined by a single specific behavior. It is viewed as a complex interaction of various factors, including genetic factors, environmental factors, the immune system, hormonal changes, and living environments.

In particular, while lung cancer has long been perceived as being strongly linked to smoking, there are a significant number of non-smoking lung cancer patients in clinical settings. Because of this, experts have pointed out, "Cancer is a disease that can occur in anyone, and an approach that shifts responsibility to the patient can negatively impact the treatment and recovery process."

Lee's remarks go beyond a celebrity's confession of illness, demanding reflection on the social attitude toward patients. She has essentially delivered a message that what is needed in the face of illness is not a gaze that interrogates the cause, but a culture that understands and supports the physical and mental suffering experienced by the patient.

Since revealing her battle with lung cancer in 2023, Lee has been communicating with fans by steadily sharing her health management and daily life. Through her experience, she is providing comfort and courage to many by sharing her perspective on life and her recovery process.