PhD dissertation explores life under surveillance for lung cancer

2022.01.03 | Graduate School of Health

On 10 January at 14.00, Michal Frumer defends her PhD dissertation entitled "Tissue changes, anticipation, ethics, and forms of life in diagnostic lung cancer surveillance".

In Denmark, the implementation of national cancer plans and an emphasis on "early diagnosis" have accelerated diagnostic practices and expanded what might be considered as clinical signs or symptoms of cancer. These changes have improved diagnostics, but they have also produced a growing group of people, who are told that they have a "precancer" or a "tissue change", which might develop into cancer. These people are offered surveillance in standardised regimes to ensure that it is possible to intervene "early", if cancer develops. Yet, very few of these tissue changes do actually develop into cancer.

In a PhD project from Aarhus University, Health, Michal Frumer has explored the ethical and social implications of being under surveillance for lung cancer. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, she has explored how the surveillance and anticipation of a future cancer manifest in everyday life in experiences, practices, relations, and ethical predicaments.

In the dissertation, the overall concept of “in the meantime” is developed - a form of life that is a central consequence of the surveillance for tissue changes within the Danish welfare state. “In the meantime”entails living with continous testing and the uncertainty of anticipating cancer. Here diagnostic testing entangles with the dramatic (will I die form this?) as well as the ordinary (it will be all right, it's good to be "kept an eye on"). 

The summary is written by the PhD student.

The defence is public and takes place online via Zoom Please read the attached press release for more information.

Contact:

PhD student Michal Frumer

Mail: micfru@ph.au.dk

Phone: (+45) 9397 6038

Read full press release