November 26, 2025 - One in five of all cancer deaths are from lung cancer, making it the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S.
"We're finding ways to combine newer techniques with the older chemotherapy drugs to really achieve unsurpassed outcomes," said Shane Dormady, MD, the medical director of the El Camino Health Cancer Centers in Mountain View and Los Gatos.
The American Cancer Society estimates nearly 230,000 people will be newly diagnosed in 2025. While smoking continues to be the primary risk factor, other contributors include air pollution and exposure to radon, asbestos or diesel exhaust.
Major advances in therapies lead to longer life.
Experts at El Camino Health are spotlighting the evolving landscape of lung cancer, encouraging prevention, screening, and where treatment is needed, highlighting major advances in therapies during Lung Cancer Awareness Month. These include:
- Oral pills to target multiple DNA mutations in place of intravenous medications.
- Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) to target cancer cells, avoid healthy cells.
- Immunotherapies to supercharge the immune system.
Dr. Dormady says the combined treatment approach means people are surviving cancer longer.
"Patients who were living three to six months previously with stage 4 lung cancer are now living years and decades because of these advances in treatment," said Dr. Dormady.
Former smoker thought he had a cold
One of Dr. Dormady's patients, Marc Poirier, 77, hadn't smoked in decades but knew something was wrong when he couldn’t get rid of what he thought was a cough from a cold.
"My family was all sick at Thanksgiving last year, and I still had the hacking cough two months later," Poirier said. "I told my physician I hadn't smoked in 30 years, but when I did smoke, I was committed. So, I always knew that lung cancer was a possibility."
Response to treatment called a miracle
Dr. Dormady called Poirier’s response to treatment "a miracle." Through various therapy regimens, El Camino Health was able to nearly eliminate the tumor in his lung and the cancerous lymph nodes in his chest prior to surgery.
"When he actually went for surgery, it was unbelievable. He had something that I've never seen before in lung cancer called a pathologic complete remission, in which there were no viable cancer cells remaining after all of the lymph nodes and the lobe of the lung were removed," said Dr. Dormady. "They were gone."
Dr. Dormady is currently researching these outcomes compared to patients who have minimal or no response to therapies before surgery. He and Poirier both urge others to strongly advocate for their health and quickly seek professional help.
Smokers can improve lung function by stopping
"If you stop smoking, your lung capacity and your pulmonary function will definitely get better, and you can come pretty close to or even surpass the average person if you work on exercise and conditioning," Dormady said. "But in terms of the DNA damage fundamentally done to those cells and the risk for cancer in the future, that never goes back to normal."
"Don't ignore problems," Poirier said. "For me, it was the cough. I had to say, 'Look, I was a smoker. There's a danger there.'"
Multidisciplinary team monitors patients to catch problems early
El Camino Health's Comprehensive Lung Nodule Clinic gives patients coordinated care by a multidisciplinary team, including radiologists, pulmonologists, cardiothoracic surgeons and oncology specialists. This team works together to monitor, evaluate and manage lung nodules to improve outcomes.
About El Camino Health
El Camino Health has served the communities of Silicon Valley and the South Bay for more than 60 years, with nationally recognized physicians and nurses at two not-for-profit acute care hospitals in Los Gatos and Mountain View, and 26 care locations across the region, which includes primary care, multi-specialty care, and urgent care. El Camino Health is dedicated to giving patients high-quality care utilizing the most advanced technology and research. As your healthcare partner of choice, we focus on keeping you healthy and getting you back on your feet when you need it, so you can live your best life.
Key Services Include:
- Cancer care
- Cardiovascular care
- Maternity care
- Mental health and addiction services
- Orthopedics
- Pulmonology
- Urology
- Women's health
Awards & Achievements:
- Named one of the World's Best Hospitals 2025 by Newsweek
- Best Hospitals for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report
- San Francisco Bay Area's first Magnet hospital for nursing excellence
To learn more, visit elcaminohealth.org.
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