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

In November, Trudy Oliver, PhD, professor of pharmacology and cancer biology at Duke University School of Medicine and Duke Cancer Institute, discussed the origins of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and its impact on plasticity. Moderated by Dr. Misty Shields, Indiana University School of Medicine, and LUNGevity’s Ann Fish-Steagall, SVP of Patient Services and Health Care Delivery, this monthly virtual series highlights the latest discoveries and breakthroughs for SCLC.

In this Facebook Live on Tuesday, October 14, Toby Campbell, MD, MS, thoracic medical oncologist and chief of palliative care at the University of Wisconsin Health, discussed palliative care in small cell lung cancer. Moderated by Misty Shields, MD, PhD, IU Health, and LUNGevity’s Ann Fish-Steagall, RN, BSN, SVP of Patient Services and Health Care Delivery, the monthly Small Cell SMASHERS series highlights the latest discoveries and breakthroughs for SCLC.

On October 2, 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of the combination treatment of lurbinectedin ( Zepzelca ®) plus atezolizumab ( Tecentriq ®) as the first maintenance (ongoing) therapy for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). This approval is for patients who are currently benefiting from initial treatments, such as atezolizumab or atezolizumab plus chemotherapy. Atezolizumab is an immunotherapy that blocks the PD-L1 protein on cancer cells. This allows the immune system to target and kill the cancer. Atezolizumab can be

In this Facebook Live from September 30, Sonam Puri, MD, Department of Thoracic Oncology at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the importance of real-world data for treating small cell lung cancer. Moderated by Misty Shields, MD, PhD, IU Health, and LUNGevity’s Ann Fish-Steagall, RN, BSN, SVP of Patient Services and Health Care Delivery, the monthly Small Cell SMASHERS series highlights the latest discoveries and breakthroughs for SCLC.

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

What Is Integrative Oncology? Integrative oncology is the use of complementary therapies alongside conventional lung cancer treatments like chemotherapy, targeted therapy, surgery, or immunotherapy. Integrative oncology—also called integrative medicine—is an evidence-informed whole-body approach to health. It is often used to address symptoms and side effects caused by disease or treatment and improve overall quality of life. Specific examples of integrative oncology for lung cancer include: Acupuncture or massages to address pain or nausea Exercise to reduce pain and improve overall quality

On Friday, March 14, Christopher Kniese, MD, of IU Health, discussed the role of pulmonologists in SCLC, why the right diagnosis is key, logistics and importance of a bronchoscopy/biopsy, pulmonary rehab, and other topics. Moderated by Misty Shields, MD, IU Health, and LUNGevity’s Ann Fish-Steagall, SVP of Patient Services and Health Care Delivery, this monthly virtual series highlights the latest discoveries and breakthroughs in SCLC.