In Part 3 of our HER2-driven lung cancer series, Leah Phillips and thoracic medical oncologist Dr. Kyle Concannon (UC Health, University of Colorado) tackle the harder questions. They get into what resistance actually means, the difference between on-target and off-target resistance, why a cancer can sometimes transform into a different type entirely, and the emerging research and combination approaches being studied for HER2 lung cancer patients.

This is a conversation many patients will eventually need to have. The research is moving fast and there is real reason for hope.

Thanks to Boehringer Ingelheim for supporting this series. YLCI retains full editorial control.

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.

Once you know you have HER2 lung cancer, what comes next? In Part 2 of our HER2-driven lung cancer series, Leah Phillips and thoracic medical oncologist Dr. Kyle Concannon (UC Health, University of Colorado) walk through what treatment actually looks like. They cover how first-line decisions are made for early versus advanced disease, where HER2-targeted therapies fit in, how doctors tell whether a treatment is working, what brain monitoring looks like, and what a progression conversation involves.

Whether you're newly diagnosed or supporting someone through treatment, this episode will help you walk into your next oncology appointment more prepared.

Thanks to Boehringer Ingelheim for supporting this series.

YLCI retains full editorial control.

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.

In lung cancer, HER2 can mean different things.
In Part 1 of our HER2-driven lung cancer series, Leah Phillips sits down with thoracic medical oncologist Dr. Kyle Concannon (UC Health, University of Colorado) to cover the basics: what a HER2 alteration actually is, the difference between overexpression, amplification, and the exon 20 insertion mutation, why the type matters for treatment, and why next-generation sequencing at diagnosis is non-negotiable.
This is Part 1 of 3. Parts 2 and 3 cover treatment and monitoring, then resistance and emerging research.

About Dr. Kyle Concannon: Assistant Professor of Medicine-Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado and a thoracic medical oncologist at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. Trained as a physician-scientist at MD Anderson, his lab studies why oncogene-driven lung cancers (EGFR, HER2, ALK, ROS1) stop responding to therapy and how to overcome that resistance. He also co-hosts The @crackingcancer podcast
https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/40545

This series is proudly sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.

This is educational content. Not medical advice. Always talk to your own care team about your specific situation.

"We put out the fire. This is the last ember."
In Part 3, Mayya Grinberg breaks down how she secured a second opinion with one of the world's leading ALK+ specialists before she needed one, how she navigated the radiation decision, and what no one prepared her for when the side effects hit eight weeks later.
If you are navigating treatment decisions with a targetable mutation, this one is for you.

Chapters:
0:00 — Introduction
0:18 — Getting a second opinion before you need one
1:00 — Finding Dr. Alice Shaw at Mass General
3:51 — What the second opinion confirmed
4:19 — Surgery vs. radiation: how she decided
7:21 — Radiation Side Effects
9:40 — Pulmonary PT and recovery

⚠️ 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.

📢 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.

I feel like I'm the tornado that happened to other people"

A cancer diagnosis doesn't just change your health.. it changes everything. In Part 2 of 3, Mayya opens up about what it meant to lose her identity as the high-achieving professional, the mom who had it all together. She talks about having to stop breastfeeding because of cancer medication, her mother selling the house she'd lived in for 30 years to move in and help, and the thought no parent should ever be forced to sit with: is it better if my kids don't remember me?

Chapters:
0:00 — Introduction
0:20 — The job opportunity of a lifetime, a new baby, and a diagnosis
1:44 — "I wasn't that corporate Barbie anymore"
3:24 — "I feel like I'm the tornado that happened to other people"
5:51 — The only time she felt human: breastfeeding her baby
6:41 — Having to stop breastfeeding because of cancer medication
9:35 — Family therapy and holding each other's hope

⚠️ 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.

📢 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.

Mayya went to the doctor with a dry cough, fatigue, and no appetite. She was sent home with an inhaler. She had stage 4 lung cancer.
In this episode, she shares her path to a stage 4 lung diagnosis with host and lung cancer patient, Leah Philliups.

Chapters:
0:00 — Introduction
0:23 — First signs: pregnancy, appetite loss, and a cough that wouldn't quit
1:44 — Going to the doctor and not being believed
2:30 — "You don't need an x-ray" — and what she did next
3:10 — Urgent care, a chest x-ray, and a pneumonia misdiagnosis
4:37 — Mother's Day: the moment she knew she had to go back
6:35 — The doctor who actually listened: shoutout to Dr. Davidson
7:30 — PET scan results: lighting up like a Christmas tree
8:45 — Biopsy results and ALK fusion diagnosis
9:38 — Mayya's advice: you are not your doctor's pet



📢 Amplifying the Voices of Young-Onset Lung Cancer
YLCI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing support, research, and advocacy for the young-onset community.
New here? Hit SUBSCRIBE to help us share these stories and ensure no young person faces this diagnosis alone.

💙 Learn More
🌐 Visit Our Website: https://ylci.org

⚠️ 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.

"I completely deflated."
When Jessie was told she was "not a candidate" for surgery to remove her primary lung tumor (the "mothership"), she didn't just accept the answer. As a professional producer, she did what she does best: she assembled an "A-Team" of the world’s leading experts to find a path forward.
In this powerful conclusion to our three-part series, Jessie shares the "sobering conversations," the medical disagreements, and the path that eventually led her to a successful surgery.

⚠️ 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.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:23 Assembling a Care Team
01:40 Navigating Treatment Options
05:17 The Role of Advocacy in Care
06:53 Hope for the Future of Lung Cancer Treatment

Thank you to Johnson & Johnson for supporting this series.

📢 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.
New here? Hit SUBSCRIBE to help us share these stories and ensure no young person faces this diagnosis alone.

💙 Learn More
🌐 Visit Our Website: https://ylci.org/

📱 Connect With Us
Instagram— @younglungcancer

"My five-year-old asked if he could watch a show now. My middle daughter wanted to know how this cancer was different from everyone else's."

In Part 2 of this 3-part series, Jessie and Leah go deeper into what it actually looks like to live with Stage 4 EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer. Jessie walks through how she told her three kids about her diagnosis. She and Leah discuss the caregiving burden that nobody talks about.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:47 Telling the Kids
02:30 Three Kids, Three Completely Different Reactions
04:15 Following Each Other's Lead: The Caregiver Experience
06:45 "A Picture of My Brain, Just to Make Sure It's Still Smiling"
07:30 Keeping the Conversation Evolving as Kids Get Older

Thank you to Johnson & Johnson for supporting this series.

⚠️ 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.

#lungcancer #patient #egfr

📢 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.
New here? Hit SUBSCRIBE to help us share these stories and ensure no young person faces this diagnosis alone.

💙 Learn More
🌐 Visit Our Website: https://ylci.org/
📱 Connect With Us
Instagram— @younglungcancer