Top Questions to Ask After a Lung Cancer Diagnosis
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with lung cancer, knowing what questions to ask can make a major difference in your treatment journey. Dr. Mark Awad, a leading lung cancer expert at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK), emphasizes the importance of understanding your specific type and stage of lung cancer — whether it’s small cell or non-small cell — and making sure all the necessary scans have been done to determine where the cancer is in the body. It’s also vital to ask about comprehensive genomic and biomarker testing, which can uncover genetic mutations and guide your doctors to the most effective, personalized treatment options, including immunotherapy or targeted drugs.
Dr. Awad also stresses the value of being treated by a dedicated lung cancer team with extensive experience, and encourages patients to seek a second opinion to ensure the best care. While starting treatment quickly may feel urgent, gathering complete information first often leads to better long-term outcomes. Many treatment centers, including MSK, offer care options closer to home and provide support services to help manage side effects, improve quality of life, and support emotional and practical needs. Most importantly, communicate openly with your care team about your goals and what’s most meaningful to you — so your treatment can support your whole life, not just your diagnosis. (Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)
Hope for KRAS-G12D Lung Cancer
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center researchers have reported promising results from a first-of-its-kind clinical trial targeting the KRAS-G12D mutation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The experimental drug zoldonrasib (RMC-9805) demonstrated significant tumor shrinkage in 61% of participants who had previously not responded to standard treatments. These findings offer hope for patients with this challenging mutation subtype.
Inspiring Journey: Living Strong with Stage 4 Lung Cancer
It was a hot, humid night in 2010 when Giancarlo Oviedo-Mori and his parents sat in a Bronx hospital and received the shock of their lives. They learned that he had advanced non-small cell lung cancer. He was only 18 years old and had big dreams. “Every South American kid wants to be a professional soccer player. I wanted to be the next Messi,” remembers Giancarlo, who immigrated to the United States with his family from Peru when he was 8 years old.
“I had never seen my parents cry like that before. It really broke me,” says Giancarlo, who has no family history of cancer and never smoked. “There was no logical reason why I got lung cancer, but I didn’t question it. I just trusted God and had this peace that everything was going to be OK.”
Fifteen years later, Giancarlo is now married and has a 2-year-old son as he continues to live with stage 4 metastatic lung cancer. Over the years, the cancer has remained persistent, but each time one treatment stopped working, there has been a new drug to try, thanks to clinical trials at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) where he is now being treated.
