In June 2017, Cassandra Morris was a healthy 43-year-old mother of three girls. Exactly a year later, she was dead.

Key points: Lung cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer in Australia

Lung cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer in Australia 12,000 people in Australia are diagnosed with lung cancer every year

12,000 people in Australia are diagnosed with lung cancer every year One in five people with lung cancer have never smoked, according to the Lung Foundation

"She had a really big presence, Cassy, so it's very obvious that she's no longer here," her husband Kane Morris told 7.30.

"She certainly filled a room and she was just very funny, very bright and intelligent."

Two years ago, Ms Morris was diagnosed with stage four cancer.

But what was even more shocking to her and her family and friends was that it was lung cancer.

"Most people who know Cassy pretty well know that she never smoked," Mr Morris said.

"People couldn't put the two together, that she had stage four lung cancer but she never smoked. And then people that you sort of didn't know that well, would ask if she ever smoked."

Cassandra Morris is survived by her three daughters and husband Kane. ( Supplied: Kane Morris )

Her initial treatment was successful, but then Ms Morris's cancer spread to her brain.

She and Mr Morris were faced with the devastating task of explaining the illness to their girls.

"Around May last year, when we were told that she probably had about a month to live, we had to tell them that and that was the hardest day of my life," he said.

Ms Morris's death in June 2018 started Mr Morris on a mission to tackle the stigma surrounding Australia's deadliest cancer, by speaking out about it.

"From my perspective, I just think if we can help anyone or any family not have to go through this, it's just a really positive thing to do," he said.

One in five lung cancer patients never smoked



Lung cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer in Australia.

About 12,000 people are diagnosed with the disease every year and approximately 9,000 die from it.

Despite that, the Lung Foundation's Mark Brooke said the organisation received less than five cents of every cancer research dollar.

"I think the most common misconception about lung cancer is that you are a smoker," he told 7.30.

"And one in five people with lung cancer have never ever smoked."

Mr Brooke believes the stigma surrounding smoking is hindering the fight against lung cancer.

"Lung cancer doesn't attract the same degree of empathy that many other cancers do because survivorship is so low," he said.

"Unlike breast cancer, survivorship is only at 17 per cent after five years.

"So we don't have this wonderful army of ambassadors and supporters in lung cancer like many people do in breast cancer, which then doesn't allow people to get behind the disease and fundraise for research."

'It's all cancer and nobody wants cancer'



After beating lung cancer, Rebecca Davies developed leukemia. ( Supplied: Rebecca Davies )

Rebecca Davies is one of the rare survivors.

She was 33 with a new baby when she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2016. She said she faced similar questions to Ms Morris.

"When I started telling people outside the immediate circle, it was, 'I didn't know you smoked. Do you smoke? Were you a smoker?' That was the first question out of everybody's lips," she said.

"It's sad to think that the attitudes of some people are that that's the only way you can get lung cancer and they don't understand when you say, 'Well no, it's not smoking related'."

Ms Davies fought her lung cancer and won, but seven months later she developed leukemia.

"After coming from a lung cancer diagnosis where I had a 20 per cent chance to make it to five years, to leukemia with 98 per cent chance, I was ready to go again," she said.

She said her experiences of the two cancers were vastly different.

"One in three people believe that lung cancer patients deserve the disease because they believe that they've all smoked and they've all brought it upon themselves," she said.

"And it's just sad that we can't get the public funding like other cancers, but it's really sad that the government don't step up."

Rebecca Davies was 33 with a new baby when she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2016. ( Supplied: Rebecca Davies )

Ms Davies is now fighting for more empathy and research.

"Cancer's cancer, and having leukemia was horrible, having lung cancer was horrible," she said.

"It's all cancer and nobody ever wants to have cancer, and everybody needs support, and emotional support is one of the most important supports you can get."