The Scariest Words You’ll Hear, “It’s Spread” Moving From Fear to Hope

The Scariest Words You’ll Hear, “It’s Spread” Moving From Fear to Hope

From Backstage @ Upstage by Upstage Lung Cancer

December 11, 2025 · 34 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the journey from fear to hope for those diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, featuring personal stories and insights from medical experts.

HOST: Hildy Grossman, CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUESTS: Jessica Lin, MD., Sarah Craig, Frank Marotta Hearing the diagnosis of Stage 4 can be devastating, but today, it is no longer the final word. More people are living with Stage 4 lung cancer than ever before, thanks to a revolution in innovative treatments, immunotherapy and precision medicine. Join us for a profoundly moving and informative episode. Sarah Craig, 31 years old with a cough and Frank Marotta, reporting to his geriatrician concerns about memory loss, share the terrifying moment they heard their diagnosis of advanced lung cancer. They graciously share their personal lung cancer journeys and where they found hope. Renowned medical oncologist Dr. Jessica Lin answers the difficult questions: How does lung cancer metastasize, and how does a doctor compassionately deliver a life-altering diagnosis? She shares her approach to guiding patients through their darkest moments. Dr. Lin also describes how cutting-edge tools like Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and PD-L1 testing are now standard biomarker evaluations, fundamentally shifting care from generalized chemo to truly personalized targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Learn…

People in this episode

Host: Hildy Grossman

Guests: Jessica Lin, MD., Sarah Craig, Frank Marotta

Topics covered

  • lung cancer
  • hope
  • treatment
  • personal stories
  • medical advancements

Keywords

  • Stage 4 lung cancer
  • immunotherapy
  • precision medicine
  • Next-Generation Sequencing
  • PD-L1 testing

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