Last November, Michael O’Donnell was at the Dallas VA during Lung Cancer Awareness Month. It’s where he receives treatment for his lung cancer, but on this specific day, he was joined by LUNGevity staff to talk with veterans about screening. “My job was easy. I was at a table with Kristi Griffith [LUNGevity’s Survivorship Navigator] so that I could answer questions as someone who uses the VA to get treated for lung cancer,” says Michael. Michael is a veteran of the Vietnam War and uses the Dallas VA for all his testing and treatment. They don’t have a lung cancer specialist on staff, but

Michelle knew what was wrong. She knew the headaches, regular vomiting, ear popping, and “whooshing” sounds in her head were all signs of leptomeningeal disease (LMD). The issue, however, is that LMD is so rare—only diagnosed in 5% of people with cancer—she had to advocate for the testing to prove it. “I called my clinic and said I needed a brain MRI because I think I have LMD. They didn’t want to schedule one, so I said, tell my doctor I’m demanding a brain MRI. I can tell him directly if I need to,” says Michelle. Leptomeningeal disease, or LMD, occurs when cancer from somewhere in the body

Rasheed Marshall understands the secondhand effects of cancer well. First his mom, Joycelyn, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995. It came back in 2015 and eventually metastasized (spread) to her lungs. Soon after, his brother-in-law Romain was diagnosed with brain cancer. They both passed away the same week. “It was tough for the entire family when we learned mom’s cancer came back. She didn’t want to go through treatment again—which is why she didn’t tell us about it right away—so when we found out, it was already late-stage and she was put in hospice care until her passing. Romain was

The symptoms that led Marnie Clark to her doctor were unusual. Her leg was feeling “weird,” but it was more of an annoyance than something she was concerned about. Then came an issue she couldn’t ignore—her leg was paralyzed, and she couldn’t move it. “The doctor thought it had to be something physically wrong with my leg, but over the previous two years I started to take my health seriously and was working with a personal trainer. I was feeling strong, so it didn’t make sense that I had a physical problem with my leg,” says Marnie. The first medical tests were all focused on her leg, and all

Learn about what's next once osimertinib stops working in EGFR+ lung cancer. EGFR Resisters co-founders Jill Feldman and Ivy Elkins, and 2021 EGFR Resisters/LUNGevity Foundation awardees Christine Lovly, MD, PhD, and Helena Yu, MD, share updates for the community. This video was recorded on Facebook Live on May 11, 2023.

Back in 2013, when Dan Cadigan was first diagnosed with stage III lung cancer, his treatment options were limited to surgery followed by chemotherapy. However, at his one-year follow-up scan, they found nodules in both lungs and he was diagnosed with stage IV recurrent cancer. Normally, it would have meant a return to chemo for treatment. But instead, thanks to a biomarker test that found an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation in the cancer cells, Dan was eligible for a new targeted treatment plan. Dan and his team were optimistic about the path ahead. Biomarker testing gives

Being a caregiver for a parent means helping in different ways and playing different roles. For Aimee Yairi, it started when her dad told her that he was having a lingering cough in early 2021. The fear was that he had caught COVID. His primary care physician continued ordering x-rays for her father and prescribing different medications for pneumonia, asthma, and GERD—but resisted sending him to a specialist. Aimee advocated for her father to get a CT scan. And that was when the 7 cm tumor was discovered. Despite her father living in the major metropolitan area of Honolulu, Aimee knew that he

A familiar voice to many in the greater Washington, DC area, Neal Augenstein, a beloved reporter at WTOP radio, joined fellow lung cancer survivor Melinda Ojermark to discuss his experience with lung cancer. Neal has a family history of the disease, so when a persistent cough would not go away, he asked his doctor for screening. A low-dose CT scan revealed that Neal had lung cancer, the same disease that had taken his father's life. Since receiving a Stage IV diagnosis in late-2022, Neal has gone public with his cancer on the radio and on social media. Neal shares that this disclosure has been

My lung cancer journey began back in February 2021, by happenstance. I didn’t have any of the classic symptoms, other than I didn’t feel well and I was unusually tired. I reluctantly caved to a trip to the local emergency room for what appeared to be an abdominal hernia or aneurysm. The physician ordered an angio CT scan that revealed a lung mass in the upper lobe of my right lung, which lucky for me was not accompanied by a suspected aortic aneurysm. After many consultations and further testing, it was agreed that the first phase of my cancer treatment plan was to remove the upper right lobe

We are collecting stories from patients, caregivers, friends, and family members! Tell us how lung cancer has affected your life. Email your story to us at support@lungevity.org. Thanks!