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.

Rasheed Marshall understands the secondhand effects of cancer well. First his mom, Joycelyn, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995. It came back in 2015 and eventually metastasized (spread) to her lungs. Soon after, his brother-in-law Romain was diagnosed with brain cancer. They both passed away the same week. 

Her doctor was excited, which made Nina excited. They high-fived and couldn’t believe the progress that had been made in just a few weeks. The clinical trial was already having positive effects. Before her clinical trial success, Nina went through the standard treatments for people with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). She was diagnosed in early 2014, and the plan was to try different chemo and radiation therapies.

We are collecting stories from patients, caregivers, friends, and family members! Tell us how lung cancer has affected your life. Email your story to us at support@lungevity.org. Thanks!

Learn about small cell lung cancer through the eyes of a patient and his oncologist. Dr. Christine Lovly, internationally recognized medical oncologist, and Jeff Lackey, an SCLC survivor, discuss their journey, the importance of lung cancer screening, and key considerations when someone is newly diagnosed.