June S. lives in La Crescenta, CA with her husband, 2 sons, and their dog, Rhylee, who is a constant companion. She is currently a part-time accountant, but has been a teacher for most of her career. She enjoys hiking, adventuring, visiting with family and friends, reading, and gardening.  My diagnosis   In November 2023, as a very healthy 57-year-old, I was diagnosed with stage 4 (IV) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This diagnosis came as an incredible shock to me as just 1 month prior, I was enjoying my annual excursion to Mammoth Lakes, CA, hiking at 10 ..read more

With recent advancements made in thoracic oncology, the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is evolving rapidly. While chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, molecular testing, and radiotherapy continue to play a large role in the management of lung cancer, especially in later–stage treatment, surgical therapy remains an essential component of lung cancer treatment in both early-stage lung cancer as well as in some cases of metastatic disease.    Dr. Jeffrey Velotta from Kaiser Permanente joined GO2’s June 2024 Lung Cancer Living Room to discuss surgical o ..read more

CT scans for lung cancer should be as routine as mammograms  Estela Mara Bensimon is a university professor emerita at the University of Southern California and the founder of the Center for Urban Education, whose mission is to eliminate racial inequity in higher education outcomes. Bensimon is a highly recognized scholar on racial equity. She is an elected member of the American Education Research Association and the National Academy of Education. She also received the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education, recognizing innovation, inspiration, and impact.  In 2022, much to my ..read more

Question: I was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and I am still smoking cigarettes. Does it matter if I quit now?   Answer: There are many reasons to quit smoking cigarettes. Quitting smoking may decrease your risk for other diseases and types of cancers, improve your overall health, and save money.   You might be surprised to learn that after a cancer diagnosis, there are even more reasons to quit. Quitting smoking after a lung cancer diagnosis has been shown to improve overall survival. In fact, the improvements in survival rates from quitting smoking alone are higher ..read more

When people think about treatment options after receiving a lung cancer diagnosis, they often don’t think about clinical trials. In fact, many people are fearful of exploring clinical trials and may shy away from discussing them with their care team. But the reality is that for many people living with lung cancer, clinical trials are part of their routine treatment. Clinical trials not only make care better for the next generation of people who will receive a lung cancer diagnosis, but participating in them ensures that you are getting the most cutting-edge treatment possible, all while gene ..read more

Jasmine Huang, MD, is a thoracic surgeon who focuses on thoracic oncology, particularly the surgical treatment of lung cancer. As part of her responsibilities, she performs lung resection surgeries on early-stage lung cancer patients—a pathway to a cure.   Lung cancer, if found early, can be curable. That’s a big reason why Dr. Huang, the director of education and program development at Norton Thoracic Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, and co-director of the Norton Thoracic Institute Lung Cancer Program, is passionate about raising awareness about lung cancer.&n ..read more

On June 13, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval of Augtyro (repotrectinib) for adults and children aged 12 years and older with NTRK-positive solid tumors, including both non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The new approval for Augtyro (repotrectinib) applies to people:  With locally advanced or metastatic disease, or people where surgical resection is likely to result in severe harm or death. Who have progressed on previous treatments or have no other good treatment options available.  The approval is ba ..read more

Contributing Authors: Brittney Nichols, MPH, RN-BSN, Senior Specialist, Science and Research, GO2 for Lung Cancer; Andrew Ciupek, PhD, Associate Director, Clinical Research, GO2 for Lung Cancer; and Renee Botello, MSc, Navigator, Treatment and Trials, GO2 for Lung Cancer Every year, oncology professionals worldwide meet at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference. New treatments, developments, and scientific breakthroughs are some of the most exciting parts of ASCO. GO2 for Lung Cancer team members just returned from this year’s meeting in Chicago, bringing back exciting up ..read more

We are delighted to welcome Sarah McHale, LCSW, OSW-C, to the GO2 Patient Support Team as senior manager of support programs and implementation. Sarah joins Maureen Rigney, Miranda Goff, and Michele Zeh on GO2’s HelpLine to offer one-on-one support, educational resources, referrals, and guidance on screening for people living with or at risk for lung cancer. Sarah’s role also includes managing the National Lung Cancer Support Group Network and implementing new community programs. She is passionate about providing accessible help to people impacted by cancer, primarily through education and s ..read more

Terry G. lives in Plainfield, IL, where she likes to ride her motorcycle, play water volleyball, and make fused glass art pieces.  My diagnosis In October 2003, when I was 41 years old, I needed to see a doctor for what I thought was a bad sinus infection. The problem was that I had just been laid off from a job where I had worked for 9 years and had yet to start my new job, so I didn’t have health insurance. My doctor told me not to worry about it and to come in anyway; they would work with me on the cost. I had also developed a cough that was so dry and harsh that I would sometimes t ..read more