Living with lung cancer can take more than just a physical toll – it comes with a myriad of feelings, like anxiety, fear, and grief.

In this episode, non-small cell lung cancer survivor and advocate Nora Taylor shares her journey through diagnosis, clinical trials, and targeted therapy, along with the rollercoaster of emotions that go with it. Licensed clinical social worker Ashley Griffin joins Nora as well as hosts Ann Steagall and Dr. Misty Shields to explain why anxiety and depression are such a common and often unspoken part of the cancer experience. She offers practical, everyday strategies for coping with scanxiety, uncertainty, and the emotional weight that patients and caregivers both feel.

Listen as the group discusses the importance of normalizing these emotions, building self-compassion, and finding support through community.

“ Both the caregiver and the patient have emotions. If you think you can't share with your loved ones, then definitely groups like you can find at LUNGevity and other organizations have quite honestly changed my life with cancer.”

- Nora Taylor, non-small cell lung cancer survivor

Key Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• Nora's lung cancer story
• Why anxiety and depression are a normal part of the cancer journey
• Scanxiety and the emotional rollercoaster
• Self-validation and self-compassion
• Coping ahead of scan results
• The caregiver's emotional burden
• How you can be hopeful and honest at the same time
• Finding community and purpose

Resources & Support:

• LUNGevity Virtual Meetups – connect with other lung cancer patients and survivors
• LUNGevity Online Communities – online groups for patients and care partners
• LUNGevity Peer-to-Peer Program – connecting people diagnosed with lung cancer to trained survivor mentors
• LUNGevity Patient Gateways – information and resources specific to your lung cancer type, including HER2
• Biomarker Testing – what it is and why it matters for your treatment
• Read more about managing your mental health after a cancer diagnosis
• Find LUNGevity's tips for managing scanxiety
• See all of LUNGevity Support Services

How do clinical trials work? What actually happens when you enroll in one? And how do you find a trial that's right for you?

In this episode, small cell lung cancer survivor Wendy Brooks and thoracic oncologist Dr. Arthi Sridhar join hosts Ann Steagall and Dr. Misty Shields to break down the intricacies of clinical trials — the phases, the safeguards in place, and what it's like to be a part of one.

Listen as Wendy shares her own experience moving through multiple trials after her cancer progressed on standard treatment. Dr. Sridhar walks through what a clinical trial actually involves, from the safety oversight behind every study to why a trial isn't just a last resort, but instead something patients can and should ask about at any point in their care.

"By participating in these trials, I'm not just helping myself, but I'm helping those that are coming behind me."

- Wendy Brooks, small cell lung cancer survivor

Key Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• What clinical trials are and how the phases work
• Wendy's experience moving through multiple trials
• Common misconceptions about clinical trial safety
• Safety oversight: IRBs and the role of the principal investigator
• Why trials aren't just a last resort
• How to find a trial that's right for you

Resources & Support:

• LUNGevity Clinical Trials: What clinical trials are, how they work, and how to find one
• Clinical Trial Ambassadors: Connect one-on-one with someone who's been on a clinical trial before you
• ClinicalTrials.gov: The U.S. government's full listing of open clinical trials
• UT Southwestern Medical Center: Learn more about the academic medical center where Dr. Sridhar practices and conducts clinical trial research

What are biomarkers, why do they matter, and what should every person living with lung cancer know about getting tested? Dr. Ross Camidge, a world-renowned thoracic oncologist and lung cancer researcher at the University of Colorado, joins Ann Steagall and Dr. Misty Shields to explain the ins and outs of biomarkers.

Dr. Camidge helped pioneer biomarker testing as a standard of care, but he also brings the patient perspective as well - he was diagnosed with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer several years ago. They discuss what biomarkers are, how biomarker testing works, why you might need to repeat your testing over time, and why you should know your biomarker status before you begin treatment.

“ If you don't have a specific biomarker identified, you've got to ask the question: was the testing complete?”

– Dr. Ross Camidge, lung cancer world expert and survivor

What You'll Hear:

• Biomarker testing in lung cancer from a patient and expert perspective
• What is biomarker testing and why does it matter for lung cancer treatment
• The evolution of lung cancer biomarker testing
• Liquid biopsy vs. tissue biopsy for lung cancer
• Who should get lung cancer biomarker testing and when
• Repeat biomarker testing and treatment resistance

Resources & Support:

• Biomarker Testing – What it is, why it matters, and how to ask your team about it
• LUNGevity’s No One Missed – Biomarker testing information for lung cancer
• What to Ask Your Doctor – Questions to guide your treatment conversations at every step
• LUNGevity Patient Gateways – Information and resources specific to your lung cancer type
• EGFR Resistors – Patient-led community for people living with EGFR-positive lung cancer
• ALK Positive – Community for patients with ALK-positive lung cancer
• ROS1ders – Community for patients with ROS1-positive lung cancer
• Virtual Meetups – Connect with other lung cancer patients and survivors, including LUNGevity's weekly Tuesday calls

How do you make the most of your visits with your healthcare team? In this episode, lung cancer survivor Bill Morris shares his experience with lung cancer and how he approaches his healthcare visits now. Oncology nurse practitioner Rasheda Persinger shares her insights after 20 years of working with patients. Hosts Ann and Dr. Shields discuss with Bill and Rasheda what they wish every patient knew, from writing down questions before an appointment to asking about biomarker testing to why recording your visit can make all the difference.

“It’s always on the ride home that I thought of the perfect question to ask.”

- Bill Morris, lung cancer survivor

What You'll Hear:

• Bill's experience navigating appointments as a stage IIIB lung cancer patient
• How to prepare before your visit and why it matters
• Why you should ask to record your appointment
• When and how to bring up biomarker testing
• The importance of shared decision-making and seeing the whole patient

Resources & Support:

• LUNGevity Patient Gateways — Resources and latest news for your specific cancer type
• What to Ask Your Doctor — Questions to guide your treatment conversations at every step
• Biomarker Testing — What it is and why it matters for your treatment
• Virtual Meetups — Connect with other lung cancer patients and survivors, including LUNGevity's weekly Tuesday calls

Why does finding community matter in lung cancer care? In this episode, lung cancer survivor and advocate Jill Feldman shares her experience, from losing multiple family members to lung cancer to her own diagnosis, as well as her work building patient communities around the world.

Jill discusses how connecting with others has shaped her journey and why community is important for support, information, and advocacy. Hosts Ann Steagall and Dr. Misty Shields explore with Jill how patients and families can find community, the role of advocacy, and how care teams can support patients and families.

" I always say that no amount of therapy could have ever helped me through my losses and then my own diagnosis, like my involvement with the lung cancer community."

-Jill Feldman, lung cancer survivor and advocate

What You'll Hear:

• Jill's experience and advocacy journey
• The role of community in navigating diagnosis
• How patients can find support after diagnosis
• Addressing stigma in lung cancer

Resources and Support:

• LUNGevity Virtual Meetups – Join a live video group to connect with others living with lung cancer
• LifeLine Peer-to-Peer Support – Get matched 1-to-1 with a survivor or caregiver mentor with a similar experience.
• LUNGevity Online Communities – Connect with other people who've been where you are
• EGFR Resistors – Join the patient-led community founded by Jill Feldman and dedicated to EGFR-positive lung cancer
• LUNGevity Patient Gateways – Find information and resources specific to your lung cancer type

What happens after a lung cancer diagnosis? In this first episode of LUNGevity’s Lung Cancer Voices of Hope podcast, lung cancer survivor Lisa Bistline shares her experience, from initial scans and biopsies through multiple treatments, and the moment a later biopsy revealed a biomarker that led to a targeted therapy.

Hosts Ann Steagall and Dr. Misty Shields then speak with Yale University thoracic oncologist Dr. Anne Chiang about what patients can expect at their first visit, including how doctors determine the type and stage of cancer, plan treatment, and approach care. Together, they discuss how lung cancer research and treatment options continue to evolve, and the pace of progress in recent years.

 "I just gaped and said, 'I have lung cancer?' and I looked over at my husband and I said, ‘I have lung cancer?’”

- Lisa Bistline, lung cancer survivor

What You'll Hear:

• Lisa’s diagnosis and treatment journey
• What happens at a first oncology visit
• How biomarkers guide treatment decisions
• The role of support systems and community

Resources and Support:

• The LUNGevity Foundation – Support programs, education, and patient resources.
• Patient Gateways – Resources specific to your lung cancer type.
• LifeLine Support Program – 1-on-1 peer mentorship for patients and survivors.
• Search Clinical Trials – Tool to find relevant trials and research.
• Small Cell SMASHERS – Learning series for small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
• Recently Diagnosed Guide – Providing the information you need right away

Meet the hosts behind LUNGevity Foundation's new podcast, Lung Cancer Voices of Hope. In this introductory episode, Ann Steagall and Dr. Misty Shields share their personal and professional connections to lung cancer and what led them to this work.

Ann reflects on more than 30 years as a thoracic oncology nurse supporting patients across care settings, and Dr. Shields shares how her father’s diagnosis shaped her path to becoming a thoracic oncologist and physician scientist. They also share what listeners can expect from the podcast, including patient stories and expert insights to help navigate a lung cancer diagnosis.

"Hope is really here to stay."

-Dr. Misty Shields, co-host and thoracic oncologist

After a lung cancer diagnosis, there are two things most people want: information -- and to hear from people who've been there.

Lung Cancer Voices of Hope is a podcast that brings together people living with lung cancer and experts in lung cancer care, so that those navigating this diagnosis and their care partners have support they need from people who truly understand.

Hosted by Ann Steagall, an oncology nurse and head of Patient Services at LUNGevity Foundation, and Dr. Misty Shields, a thoracic medical oncologist, each episode shares stories and insights that reflect the latest in lung cancer care -- and the hope that comes from hearing from others on a similar journey.

Starts April 23.

This show is brought to you by LUNGevity Foundation.