Expert Shares Advice for Navigating a New Lung Cancer Diagnosis

At a recent CURE Educated Patient® Lung Cancer Summit, held in tandem with the 2025 PER® New York Lung Cancer Symposium, Dr. Lanyi Nora Chen, sat down for a live interview with CURE, in which, she shares her advice for newly diagnosed patients with lung cancer.

In the interview, Chen emphasizes the importance of gathering information before starting treatment, asking questions, and involving loved ones in discussions. She discusses the importance of understanding that the initial delay after diagnosis is not inaction, but rather is a critical step toward ensuring that the treatment plan is precisely tailored to each specific type and stage of lung cancer.

Chen is an assistant professor of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Herbert Irving Pavilion, where she also works as a medical oncologist.

Transcript

What advice do you give to patients who are newly diagnosed with lung cancer, and how do you help them navigate the initial stress of diagnosis?

I think, especially in that first [stage of diagnosis], it’s a very stressful period of time. Oftentimes, you receive this life-changing diagnosis and you're being told there's more workup to be done, and there's more testing that we're waiting on before starting treatment. When I meet patients during that first visit and communicate these things, there is understandably a lot of stress.

Patients often think, “you’re telling me I have lung cancer. Why aren’t we doing anything about it?” What I explain is that we are learning more and more about lung cancer, and not everyone’s cancer is the same. Patients deserve comprehensive testing, including molecular testing and full imaging, to fully understand the nature of their specific disease, which helps us determine the best treatment.

I remind patients that the stress in the beginning is understandable, and sometimes for good reason, because with so much more knowledge about diagnosing and treating different types of lung cancers, it’s all about finding the right approach for each individual.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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