Living with lung cancer can take more than just a physical toll—it comes with a myriad of feelings, like anxiety, fear, and grief.
In this episode, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survivor and advocate Nora Taylor shares her journey through diagnosis, clinical trials, and targeted therapy, along with the rollercoaster of emotions that go with it. Licensed clinical social worker Ashley Griffin joins Nora as well as hosts Ann Steagall and Misty Shields, MD, to explain why anxiety and depression are such a common and often unspoken part of the cancer experience. She offers practical, everyday strategies for coping with scanxiety, uncertainty, and the emotional weight that patients and caregivers both feel.
Listen as the group discusses the importance of normalizing these emotions, building self-compassion, and finding support through community.
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Featured Guests:
Nora Taylor, non-small cell lung cancer survivor
Nora Taylor is a seven-year HER2 mutation non-small cell lung cancer survivor, cancer caregiver, and passionate advocate. Diagnosed in July 2019 following an incidental finding on a CT scan, her journey took her through surgery, chemo and immunotherapy, clinical trials, toxicity, and maintenance.
Inspired by her own lung cancer journey and passion to help others facing a lung cancer diagnosis, Nora joined the Bayer Patient Lung Care Council in 2025, and is an active participant in LUNGevity Meetups, Peer-to-Peer mentoring, the annual HOPE Summit, and planting the flags for Every Breath Forward.
Nora believes that no one has to face a lung cancer diagnosis alone, as well as the adage, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Both the caregiver and the patient have emotions. Sharing them is better than bottling them up. If you think you can't share with your loved ones, then definitely groups like you can find at LUNGevity and other organizations have quite honestly changed my life with cancer.
- Nora Taylor, non-small cell lung cancer survivor
Ashley Griffin, MSW, LCSW
Ashley Griffin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and doctoral candidate in Organizational Leadership and Change, and has over a decade of experience supporting individuals during life-altering transitions. She currently serves patients and families at Texas Oncology, where she provides emotional support, crisis intervention, and resource navigation for individuals navigating complex cancer journeys.
Ashley specializes in emotional wellness, resilience, and relationship dynamics in the face of serious illness. Her work is grounded in trauma-informed care and a deep commitment to helping individuals and families feel seen, supported, and empowered throughout survivorship.
Ashley’s approach integrates clinical expertise with human-centered, compassionate care; creating space for honest conversations about the emotional realities of cancer, including identity shifts, uncertainty, and the ongoing process of healing beyond treatment.
The goal isn't to eliminate anxiety. It's not to eliminate those feelings of distress because that's a normal reaction. It's how your brain's trying to make sense of all these things that’s going on.
-Ashley Griffin, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Key Topics Discussed in This Episode:
- Nora's story: from an incidental finding on a routine scan to a stage IA diagnosis, recurrence, a HER2 mutation, a clinical trial setback, and life on a targeted therapy today
- Why anxiety and depression are a normal part of the cancer journey: Ashley explains how loss of control, uncertainty, and the pressure to "stay positive" contribute to the emotional toll of a lung cancer diagnosis
- Scanxiety and the emotional rollercoaster: why anxiety around scans can persist even years into survivorship, and how Nora has learned to work through it
- Self-validation and self-compassion: why naming and normalizing difficult emotions works better than trying to eliminate them
- Coping ahead of scan results: practical strategies for the wait between a scan and an appointment, including intentional distraction, scheduled "worry time," and having a support person to fact-check reports
- The caregiver's emotional burden: Nora reflects on having "worn both hats"—patient and caregiver—after losing her partner to cancer, and Ashley explains how the weight of anxiety can shift between patient and caregiver over time
- You can be hopeful and honest at the same time: Ashley on why patients don't have to choose between staying positive and acknowledging what's hard
- Finding community and purpose: how connecting with others facing lung cancer helped Nora find support, perspective, and hope
Resources & Support:
- LUNGevity Virtual Meetups – connect with other lung cancer patients and survivors
- LUNGevity Online Communities – online groups for patients and care partners
- LUNGevity Peer-to-Peer Program – connecting people diagnosed with lung cancer to trained survivor mentors
- LUNGevity Patient Gateways – information and resources specific to your lung cancer type, including HER2
- Biomarker Testing – what it is and why it matters for your treatment
- Read more about managing your mental health after a cancer diagnosis
- Find LUNGevity's tips for managing scanxiety
- See all of LUNGevity Support Services