Lung Cancer Awareness: From the Top Down and the Bottom Up

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August 03, 2026

When an MRI revealed a small mass in her right lung, Shira Boehler, by her own admission, ignored it. A young, active, non-smoker, Shira had no symptoms and seemingly no predisposition to lung cancer. Conversations with experts led her to have a low dose CT scan - which revealed stage one lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and up to 20% of lung cancers in the U.S. occur in people who have never smoked - just like Shira. Today she’s a lung cancer survivor and staunch advocate. Shira wrote a NY Times best-selling memoir, One Scan Saved My Life, chronicling her unexpected diagnosis, treatment journey, and transformation into an advocate for awareness and early detection of lung cancer.

Shira shares her personal story on this podcast, plus her goal to expand guidelines for lung cancer screenings.

Tune in to hear how she is advocating for policy reforms and how she engages with insurers and employers to help them better understand and access data showing that earlier diagnoses can save lives and improve outcomes.

SPEAKERS

Shira Kupperman Boehler | One Scan Saved My Life, Founder, Cancer Doesn’t Care

Ellen Kelsay | President and CEO, Business Group on Health

Duration 28 min

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