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Wie ist das mit dem Krebs?
German, Dagmar Geisler, Sarah Roxana Herlofsen, 2023
«If the diagnosis is cancer, your world teeters on its axis»
29.1.2026
Translation: Katherine Martin
Pictures: Christian Walker
Mirjam Lämmle is the CEO of the Swiss Cancer League («Krebsliga Schweiz). In this interview, she explains where her patients experience gaps in their care and how her organisation helps them. Many cases of cancer, she adds, could be prevented if Switzerland didn’t focus solely on personal responsibility.
Switzerland’s a rich country and our healthcare system might be the best in the world. And yet, we still need organisations like the Cancer League, an association mainly funded by donations. Why is that?
Mirjam Lämmle: Yes, you’re right. We step in when patients require services that the system doesn’t cover.
Such as?
Basically, anything requiring a lot of time. The Cancer League provides services at the interface between the social and healthcare systems. We assist people when, for example, they need to get important questions answered after their cancer diagnosis. This involves offering information, advice and help during a tough time.
That tough time begins with the diagnosis. What’s it like for people when they’re diagnosed with cancer?
It’s a moment that divides your life into a before and after. Your world teeters on its axis. And you ask yourself existential questions like, «Am I going to die soon?» Most people we work with remember every detail about the moment they were diagnosed.
Those moments are bound to be difficult for doctors too.
Absolutely. The issue’s often neglected during their studies too. So, at the Cancer League, we provide training on the topic for medical professionals. We know from the research, for example, as soon as the word «cancer» is mentioned, patients actually stop taking in information given beyond that during the diagnostic appointment.
So the questions only come later, after they’ve processed the shock?
Exactly. Sometimes, they ask about the disease and treatment. Other times, they want to know how to tell their families or their employer. What will their illness mean for them financially?
Do patients react similarly to their cancer diagnosis? Or do people deal with it differently?
People really do have different reactions. Some jump on every bit of information they can find about the cancer they’ve been diagnosed with. Other patients, however, trust their doctor completely. Plus, there are some people who find it extremely difficult to open up – to even recognise that they can ask for help.
What makes people feel that way?
A serious illness – possibly even an incurable one – rarely has a place in our society. We talk much more openly about successes and achievements. And of course, death, the finite nature of human life, is still a taboo.
When I imagine being diagnosed with cancer, I imagine having to discuss it with my primary school-age daughter, for example. What’s it like to talk to kids about cancer?
It’s certainly right to have the conversation. Children are very sensitive – if something’s bothering mum or dad, they usually pick up on it. There’s no point in hiding an issue like that. That being said, it needs to be addressed in a child-appropriate way.
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Krebs erklärt für Klein und Gross
German, Bianca Mustard, Kirsten Grabowski, 2024
There are also people who draw attention to their own cancer journey, basically by announcing it publicly on social media. The response is often astonishing and gains them many followers.
I’m definitely of the opinion that authenticity’s in very high demand. That’s why people follow these stories. Folks living with the disease also find it helpful if they can report how they’re feeling and tell their story, without being judged by society. We’ve noticed the same thing in our work. Our profile of a mother with tongue cancer on our website, for example, has really resonated with people. We want to show the human beings behind the numbers and statistics.
Oh, and here I was about to ask you about a statistic of all things… According to the latest Public Health Index, Switzerland ranks as the worst in Europe on prevention. Is that a problem when it comes to cancer?
I find it utterly incomprehensible that a country as rich and progressive as ours does so little in terms of prevention. And yet, we know that four out of ten cases of cancer could be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle. That starts with smoking, and continues onto alcohol, unhealthy diets and too little exercise.
Do people need to take more personal responsibility on this?
Yes, that argument’s often mentioned, but it doesn’t cut it in this instance. There’s temptation everywhere, including in the form of advertising. At the same time, knowledge about the risks and dangers hasn’t been made that widely available. Or, the ones able to make it available no longer receive the necessary financial resources to do so.
Thank you, Mirja, for the interview.
The Swiss Cancer League educates people affected by cancer and offers them and their families advice, support and information. There’s a large catalogue of information on its website, as well as a peer group, where experts with experience share their knowledge (page in German).
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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