Facing the Shock: Personal Stories of Youth, HER2, and Lung Cancer

HOST:  Hildy Grossman CO-HOST:  Jordan Rich GUESTS: Kyle Concannon, MD, Samantha Murrell, Bianca Bye and Leah Phillips The face of lung cancer is changing. No longer viewed simply as a “smoker’s disease” that only impacts older adults, there is a rising and concerning trend of younger adults and non-smokers being diagnosed with advanced disease.  Our guests today have so much light to shine on this issue. In this powerhouse episode, we hear from Samantha Murrell, diagnosed with Stage 4 with a HER2 biomarker at age 37. She notes that her way of coping with her diagnosis was to learn everything possible about her disease. She tells how hope comes with new, cutting-edge drugs targeting HER2 because they allow her to live a full and active life.   Our guest, Leah Phillips, a mother of three young children, also was shocked by her diagnosis of Stage 4 lung cancer at 43. She tells how she joined Bianca Bye, who faced the advanced diagnosis and tragic loss of both parents, within months of each other, to lung cancer. Leah and Bianca joined forces to create the Young Lung Cancer Initiative. Oncologist, Dr. Kyle Concannon notes how these three resilient women are finding meaning in advocacy as they work to transform suffering into meaning by helping others. This is an unforgettable, action-driven look at hope, survival, and taking control.