Breathe Strong

Rachel Thomas returns with a summer update on Breathe Strong and shares what is being planned for Season Two. After the positive response to Season One, including the Ask the Expert episode with Professor Sanjay Popat, the next season will focus on practical support for people living with lung cancer or mesothelioma who are preparing to start treatment. Rachel explains the idea behind a new prehab...

N.B. AstraZeneca has provided a grant towards this independent project and has had no involvement in its creation or organisation. -- Chemotherapy accumulates in the body, and understanding its effects can shape the treatment journey for cancer patients. In this episode, Rachel and her new guests dive into the side effects of lung cancer treatments, focusing specifically on chemotherapy and tyrosi...

N.B. AstraZeneca has provided a grant towards this independent project and has had no involvement in its creation or organisation. -- Leslie Harrison and Doug Read are people living with mesothelioma whose experience of treatment was marked by severe immunotherapy side effects, from hepatitis and inflammatory arthritis to rash, weight loss, weakness and sudden loss of independence. In this episode...

N.B. AstraZeneca has provided a grant towards this independent project and has had no involvement in its creation or organisation. -- Professor Sanjay Popat is a medical oncologist and thoracic oncology professor whose life was shaped by a career spent advancing lung cancer and mesothelioma treatment through research, clinical trials, and patient-centred care. In this episode of Breathe Strong, Pr...

N.B. AstraZeneca has provided a grant towards this independent project and has had no involvement in its creation or organisation. -- The podcast dives into the essential theme of communication in relationships, particularly when facing a cancer diagnosis. Host Rachel and her guests, Doug, Barbara, Max, and Charlie, share their experiences and insights about how cancer impacts partnerships. They e...

N.B. AstraZeneca has provided a grant towards this independent project and has had no involvement in its creation or organisation. -- Relationships can change significantly when facing a cancer diagnosis. The guests discuss how they prefer to view their partners as "co-pilots" instead of "carers," emphasising a more positive dynamic, and they share personal experiences about how their roles have s...

N.B. AstraZeneca has provided a grant towards this independent project and has had no involvement in its creation or organisation. -- This podcast highlights the significant impact that lung cancer diagnoses have not only on patients but also on their family members and caregivers. T he discussion emphasises that these caregivers often feel secondary to the patient, yet their experiences and feeli...

N.B. AstraZeneca has provided a grant towards this independent project and has had no involvement in its creation or organisation. -- A lung cancer diagnosis affects more than the body. It reaches into your thoughts, your emotions, and the way you see your future. In this episode of Breathe Strong , the panel talk openly about mental health. They share what it feels like to face surgery alone, wai...

N.B. AstraZeneca has provided a grant towards this independent project and has had no involvement in its creation or organisation. -- How a daughter’s grief led to one of the UK’s leading mesothelioma support charities. In this moving episode of Breathe Strong , host Rachel Thomas sits down with Lynne Squibb, CEO of HASAG, a charity dedicated to supporting patients and families affected by mesothe...

N.B. AstraZeneca has provided a grant towards this independent project and has had no involvement in its creation or organisation. -- Real advice from patients who’ve taken flights, cruises, and road trips after diagnosis. In this episode of Breathe Strong , host Rachel Thomas reconnects with guests Charlie, Lesley, and Doug to explore what it’s like to travel after receiving a diagnosis of lung c...

N.B. AstraZeneca has provided a grant towards this independent project and has had no involvement in its creation or organisation. -- Three patients share their real-life experiences from diagnosis to treatment and beyond. In this powerful first episode of Breathe Strong, host and specialist nurse Rachel Thomas is joined by three inspiring guests - Charlie, Doug, and Leslie - who share their deepl...

N.B. AstraZeneca has provided a grant towards this independent project and has had no involvement in its creation or organisation. -- Breathe Strong is a monthly podcast launching December 2025, hosted by community mesothelioma nurse Rachel Thomas from HASAG. Each episode brings together patients, families, and experts to share real experiences of living with mesothelioma and EGFR+ lung cancer. Fr...