The American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative Podcast

On this ALCSI podcast, Dr. Bruce Johnson talks about his translational research related to testing the efficacy of novel therapeutic agents against lung cancer with specific genomic changes. He also discusses issues around equity in lung cancer screening and treatment. Dr. Johnson received his MD from the University of Minnesota in 1979 and his postgraduate training at the University of Chicago an...

On this ALCSI podcast, Ms. Liz Brown talks about her personal journey of being diagnosed with cancer as a child in 1989 and being diagnosed with radiation induced adenocarcinoma almost 30 years after receiving radiation therapy for her childhood cancer. Liz has documented her experiences using social media and her own blog in order to help spread awareness of late effects and further cancers. Lung...

On this ALCSI podcast, Dr. Gerald Weinhouse talks about his research on lung cancer and experience treating lung cancer patients. He discusses the importance of smoking cessation resources and increasing access to lung cancer screening among rural populations. Dr. Gerald Weinhouse is the medical director of Respiratory Care Services and a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), as well as...

On this ALCSI podcast, Mrs. Kerrie Mitchell talks about her personal journey being diagnosed with stage IV NSCLC with metastasis to lymph nodes and the brain. She describes receiving Cyberknife to the brain and the side effects she faced as a result of the treatment. As a resident of the UK, she also talks about similarities and differences in lung cancer screening between the UK and US. Kerrie wa...

On this ALCSI podcast, Dr. Emily Stone talks about lung cancer screening in Australia and her work on the International Lung Screen Trial (ILST). Associate Professor Emily Stone is a respiratory physician and clinical researcher at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney and School of Clinical Medicine UNSW. Her specific research interests include quality use of clinical data, lung cancer screening and tobac...

On this ALCSI podcast, Dr. Mulshine talks about his work on the early detection of lung cancer, and in particular, his research on CT-derived emphysema. He also shares with us his thoughts on how to improve the lung cancer screening guidelines and his knowledge on e-cigarette use and lung cancer risk.   Dr. James L. Mulshine, M.D., is Professor, Rush University where he has served as Associat...

On this ALCSI podcast, Dr. Hiren Mehta talks about his research on lung cancer risk prediction models, lung cancer staging, and early diagnosis.   Dr. Hiren Mehta is a practicing interventional pulmonologist at University of Florida and involved in the Thoracic Oncology Group. He has board certifications in Internal Medicine, Interventional Pulmonary, Pulmonary Medicine, and Critical Care. Hi...

On this ALCSI podcast, Dr. Madhuri talks about her work as a thoracic surgeon and her focus on minimally invasive surgery. She also shares with us her work on racial and gender disparities within cancer care and thoracic oncology.   Dr. Madhuri Rao is an Assistant Professor with the Division of General Thoracic and Foregut Surgery at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Rao was born and raised in...

On this ALCSI podcast, Dr. Estelamari Rodriguez talks about her experience leading Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center's lung cancer screening program. Their lung cancer screening program serves a significant portion of racial minorities (particularly Hispanic patients), and she shares the strategies the program has implemented to educate community members, increase the lung cancer screening rat...

On this ALCSI podcast, Dr. Wade Iams talks about his research on blood biomarkers and his experience leading several clinical trials and caring for patients with thoracic malignancies.   Dr. Wade Iams is a thoracic medical oncologist and translational lung cancer researcher at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. His research focuses on lung cancer clinical trials, as well as discovering and...

On this ALCSI podcast, Gloria Linnertz and Jackie Nixon talk about how lung cancer has affected their lives and inspired their advocacy work in radon awareness and education.  Jackie Nixon:  Jackie Nixon is the Director of Marketing & Communications for Citizens Radioactive Radon Reduction (CR3) and Publisher of CR3 News Magazine and a Stage 1 Lung Cancer Survivor. She is also the Pe...

On this ALCSI podcast, Lauren Coye talks about her journey as a lung cancer survivor and advocate.  Lauren is a 24-year-old who has never smoked and recently lost most of her right lung to cancer. Since her lobectomy in March she has been racing 5Ks and climbing mountains on the East and West coasts. She aims to end the stigma around lung cancer and spread the word that anyone with lungs can...

On this ALCSI podcast, Dr. Nestor Villamizar shares his expertise and research on lung cancer and lung cancer screening. Dr. Nestor Villamizar is an Associate Professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, and is the Program Director for the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency. Dr. Villamizar did his residency in general surgery at Duke Univ...

On this ALCSI podcast, Dr. Alain Tremblay shares his expertise and research on lung cancer and lung cancer screening.   Dr. Tremblay is a Pulmonologist and Professor of Medicine at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is the clinical lead for the Alberta Thoracic Oncology Program, a rapid access program for patients with suspected lung malignancies, and Medical lead for t...

On this ALCSI podcast, Mrs. Gina Horan talks about her journey as a lung cancer survivor and advocate. Gina has lived unconventionally for a living. She wisely achieved a degree in Philosophy to complement her Fine Arts major. She has worked independently her entire life. She married a musician, and together they called the west coast "home," while they toured the majority of the US. She has a sup...

On this ALCSI podcast, Ms. Denise Lee talks about her journey as a lung cancer survivor and advocate. Denise is a 4.5-year lung cancer survivor. She is also an avid reader and loves to travel. She was born and raised in the Midwest, went to college on the east coast and attended law school on the west coast. If she had to pick a phrase that encapsulates her journey, she'd say "a billboard saved my...

On this ALCSI podcast, Dr. Lary Robinson, a thoracic surgeon at the Moffitt Cancer Center, shares his expertise and research on lung cancer and lung cancer screening.   Dr. Robinson, a native of Kansas, received his undergraduate B.A. degree in anthropology at the University of Kansas and his medical degree from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. He completed...

On this ALCSI podcast, Mrs. Lisa Goldman talks about her journey as a lung cancer survivor and advocate. She was diagnosed with ROS1+ Stage IV NSCLC in 2014. She co-founded The ROS1ders, Inc. and currently serves as the Vice President and sits on their Board of Directors (see www.ros1ders.org). Lisa is also a member of the Pfizer Lung Cancer Steering Committee and a Patient Advocate for the Lung C...

On this ALCSI podcast, Mrs. Valerie Vanderford talks about her journey as a lung cancer survivor. Valerie is a mom, grandma, wife, gardener, photographer, and 10.5-year lung cancer survivor. A nagging cough led to a myriad of tests and ultimately the diagnosis of Stage IIIB lung cancer in 2011. She had her right lung removed shortly afterward, and has been "NED" (no evidence of disease) ever since...

On this ALCSI podcast, Mrs. Yovana Portillo talks about her journey as a lung cancer survivor and advocate. Yovana was a passenger in a car accident in the spring of 2016 that led to a visit to the ER, where a mass on her left lung was discovered during the examination. At 35, living a pretty active lifestyle and without any other major health ailments, Yovana was shocked when she heard her diagno...

On this ALCSI podcast, Mrs. Heidi Nafman-Onda talks about her journey as a lung cancer survivor and advocate, and Dr. Pierre Onda talks about his experience as a caregiver for Heidi. Heidi and Pierre are high school sweethearts since 1979 and married 36 years. They are the co-founders of The White Ribbon Project, which aims to change the public perception of lung cancer with the message, “Anyone w...

On this ALCSI podcast, Ms. Diane Colton talks about her journey as a lung cancer survivor and advocate. Diane was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2011, 2012, and 2019. After her second diagnosis in 2012, she learned the reality of having lung cancer and began paying attention to the stigmas that cancer carries with it. Like most people diagnosed with one of the over 50 types of cancers of the lung,...

On this ALCSI podcast, Mr. Edward Cutler talks about his journey as a lung cancer survivor and advocate. Mr. Cutler was diagnosed in 2013 with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). He is a native of Tampa, Florida, and went to Pennsylvania for college and met his wife, Donna, there. After getting married and serving in the U.S. Navy in the Vietnam War, they moved back to Tampa. He worked as...

On this ALCSI podcast, Mrs. Donna Hunting talks about her journey as a lung cancer survivor and advocate. Donna is a non-smoker who was diagnosed with lung cancer at the age of 54. She has non-small cell lung cancer, adenocarcinoma with the EGFR Exon 19 mutation. Since diagnosis, she has been NED (no evidence of disease) two times in her journey and is currently on her third treatment line. She is...

On this ALCSI podcast, Mrs. Katja Broddesson talks about her journey as a lung cancer survivor and advocate. Katja was diagnosed with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer adenocarcinoma and stage II non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as a 47-year-old non-smoker. Since then she had clean scans! She is joining us with the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative to share her story.   Lung cancer is the lea...