How is EGFR driven lung cancer actually treated and monitored? In Episode 2 of the YLCI EGFR Education Biomarker Series, co-founder Leah Phillips sits down with thoracic oncologist Dr. Eric Singhi of MD Anderson to talk through early-stage treatment, adjuvant TKIs, brain MRI surveillance, oligo versus poly progression, and his "chess, not checkers" approach to long-term sequencing. Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.

In the premiere of our EGFR Biomarker Series, we’re joined by Dr. Eric Singhi, a renowned thoracic oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, to demystify the biology of an EGFR positive diagnosis.

Lung cancer treatment has evolved into the "poster child" for precision medicine, but getting the right treatment starts with one critical step: Comprehensive Biomarker Testing. Dr. Singhi explains why this testing is the "gold standard" of care and uses the analogy of a "stuck switch" to describe how EGFR mutations drive uncontrolled cell growth. We also debunk common myths about who gets lung cancer and why your "street address" matters.

• The "Stuck Switch": A simple breakdown of EGFR biology.
• The Precision Medicine Revolution: Why EGFR requires a different approach than traditional chemo or immunotherapy.
• Tissue vs. Liquid Biopsy: How the "team effort" between blood and tissue samples ensures no mutation is missed.
• Finding Your "Street Address": Understanding the differences between Exon 19 deletions, L858R, and Exon 20 insertions.
• The Changing Outlook: Moving from a "months" mindset to living for years with targeted therapy.

This episode is proudly sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.

The YLCI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the young-onset community. We provide support, research, and advocacy to ensure that no young person faces a lung cancer diagnosis alone.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition.

his episode is dedicated to Chad Dunbar, Elizabeth Campbell Moir, & all of those we have lost.

"I lost one of my nearest and dearest. Same age. Same cancer. Same mutation."

In this third and final episode of Jamie's story, Jamie and Leah have one of the most honest and raw conversations you'll find anywhere about what it really means to live with a metastatic cancer diagnosis. Jamie, living with RET positive lung cancer, and Leah, living with stage 4 EGFR lung cancer, open up about the part of this journey nobody prepares you for. The grief of losing close friends within the cancer community. The unique pain of watching someone with a similar diagnosis pass away. And what it feels like to carry that loss while still navigating your own disease.

This isn't a doctor talking at a patient. This is two women who truly understand each other in a way that only people living with a life limiting disease can... sharing their grief, their fear, their scanxiety, and ultimately their hope.

Chapters
00:00 Navigating Life After Diagnosis
02:08 Shifting Priorities and Values
05:10 Living in 90-Day Increments
07:52 Coping with Scanxiety
10:19 The Emotional Toll of Loss
12:47 The Uncertainty of Cancer
18:03 Finding Meaning in Connections

📢 Amplifying the Voices of Young-Onset Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is often caught late in young adults because "they're too young." At the Young Lung Cancer Initiative (YLCI), we are changing that narrative. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing support, research, and advocacy for the young-onset community.
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⚠️ Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition.