Catching up with our ‘voices’: real-life lung cancer stories in 2026

Since 2023, more than 50 people affected by lung cancer have shared their stories with All You Need Is Lungs. Many were diagnosed young, many had never smoked, and many were told at first that their symptoms were unlikely to be lung cancer.

This year, we went back to find out what has happened since. Some of our volunteers told us about treatment, scans and side effects, but also about holidays, new jobs, family milestones, dogs, gardens and the ordinary days in between.

Sadly, not everyone is still with us. Since sharing their stories, a number of our volunteers have died. We think about them often, and we’re grateful to their families for allowing their stories to stay on this site, where they continue to help people recognise the symptoms of lung cancer.

In memory

We remember the volunteers who shared their stories with us and have since died. Their words are still here, and still helping others.

Where it started

Every volunteer here first shared their story in 2023, 2024 or 2025. You can read the 2024 and 2025 stories on our 2024 Voices and 2025 Voices pages.

Thank you to every volunteer who has shared their story with us, and to the families who continue to share them. Your openness and honesty help people recognise symptoms, challenge outdated assumptions about who gets lung cancer, and show others that they are not alone.