Since 2023, more than 50 people affected by lung cancer have shared their stories with us. Many were diagnosed young. Many were told at first that their symptoms were unlikely to be lung cancer. Together they’ve helped thousands of people see that lung cancer doesn’t look a certain way.
This year, we went back to some of them to ask: what’s happened since?
Life with lung cancer, years on
Their updates cover the hard parts of living with lung cancer: scans, new treatments, side effects and setbacks. They also cover a lot of ordinary life.
Emma finally visited Egypt, which she’d dreamed of doing since her early twenties. Soumitra has marked five years since surgery with clear scans and is training to trek in the Peruvian Andes. Polly and her husband Harry celebrated 40 years of marriage and watched their son George get married. Others have gone back to work, cycled, walked their dogs, been on holidays and celebrated family news.
None of it means lung cancer is easy. Several volunteers talk honestly about tough treatment and uncertainty. But their updates show what life with lung cancer can look like now, and that people can be well enough to do the things they love.
Remembering the volunteers we’ve lost
Sadly, not everyone is still with us. Some of the people who shared their stories in earlier years have since died.
We think of them and their families often. Their families have kindly let their stories stay on the site, where they continue to help people recognise the signs of lung cancer and push for answers. We’re grateful to every one of them.
Know the signs of lung cancer
Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer. See your GP if you have:
a cough that lasts three weeks or more
breathlessness
chest or shoulder pain
repeated chest infections
unexplained tiredness or weight loss
coughing up blood
If your symptoms don’t go away, go back to your GP and ask whether lung cancer could be the cause.
Read the 2026 updates
Read all our volunteers’ updates on the 2026 Voices page.
