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 Misty Shields, MD, PhD, then speak with Anne Chiang, MD, PhD, thoracic oncologist at Yale University, about what patients can expect at their first visit, including how doctors determine the type and stage of cancer, plan treatment, and approach care

On February 26, 2026, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the accelerated approval of zongertinib (Hernexeos®) as an initial treatment option for newly diagnosed patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mutations in the HER2 gene. This approval expands the usage of this treatment from August 2025 when it was only approved for patients who have been previously treated with a systemic therapy (such as chemotherapy). Mutations in the HER2 gene (also called the ERBB2 gene) are responsible for approximately 2%-3% of nonsquamous NSCLCs. These mutations activate

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the future of cancer care, but such dramatic innovation also brings important questions. AI has evolved from early consumer tools (like autocorrect on phones, customer service chatbots, and personalized shopping recommendations) to advanced systems with the potential to revolutionize biomedical discovery and patient care. While there is tremendous excitement around AI, there is also a critical need to use it responsibly. Researchers are actively studying how to implement AI across the lung cancer continuum. Key areas of focus include improving

The human immune system is an intricate web of checks and balances that usually excels at detecting and destroying foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses, while protecting healthy tissue. But sometimes, the checks and balances get confused and stop the immune system from doing what’s right—such as killing tumor cells. Tumor cells are good at confusing the immune system because they originate from our healthy cells. They can often avoid detection by immune cells. Through several decades of research, we have identified two key protein pathways, PD-L1 and CTLA-4, that lung cancer cells

Lung cancer research was in the spotlight at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) meeting held October 17-21, 2025, in Berlin, Germany. With approximately 30,000 attendees from over 100 countries, this meeting gathered an international audience of clinicians, researchers, patient advocates, and representatives from the healthcare industry to discuss cutting-edge cancer research and share practice-changing clinical trial data. We saw data from studies that aim to build upon existing treatments, to optimize combination approaches, and to address some of the unmet needs of people

On November 19, 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the accelerated approval of sevabertinib (Hyrnuo®) to treat patients with locally-advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with specific mutations in the HER2 gene. This approval is for patients who have been previously treated with HER2-targeted therapies, as well as patients who have received previous treatment that did not target HER2. Mutations in the HER2 gene (also called the ERBB2 gene) are responsible for approximately 2%-3% of nonsquamous NSCLCs. These mutations activate the HER2 protein and

For people with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the treatment landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. Researchers are learning how to optimize existing therapies and are exploring entirely new treatment approaches. At the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC), several studies highlighted progress in treating newly diagnosed individuals as well as those who need new options after standard therapies stop working. Combining Chemotherapy and Targeted Therapy to Treat EGFR-positive Lung Cancer One of the most anticipated studies at WCLC was the phase 3

On August 8, 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the accelerated approval of zongertinib (Hernexeos®) to treat patients with unresectable or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mutations in the HER2 gene. This approval is for patients who have been previously treated with a systemic therapy (such as chemotherapy). Mutations in the HER2 gene (also called the ERBB2 gene) are responsible for approximately 2-3% of nonsquamous NSCLCs. These mutations activate the HER2 protein and drive cancer growth. Zongertinib is a type of targeted therapy that is given as a

On June 11, 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of taletrectinib (Ibtrozi™) to treat patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with ROS1 rearrangements. Taletrectinib is a next-generation, highly specific kinase inhibitor of ROS1 that was designed to treat ROS1+ NSCLC in patients whose tumors have developed drug resistance to previous targeted therapies as well as a first treatment option for newly diagnosed patients. The FDA approval is supported by data from two phase 2 clinical trials: TRUST-I and TRUST-II. Both

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