Tina Christian-Lenson has always understood the value of a healthy lifestyle and regular cancer screenings; after all, she works in health care. But when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, she became the patient — and gained a new perspective on how important it is for patients to advocate for their care.

When Bill Eberhart relocated to Sequim, Wash., from Hawaii, several years ago, he needed to find new doctors. Eberhart made an appointment with a new primary care provider, who asked if he was a smoker. “I used to be,” Eberhart responded, “but I haven’t smoked in over five years.” Still, when the doctor heard that Eberhart, 71, had smoked for more than 40 years before that, he immediately recommended lung cancer screening. 

In 2016, Dr. Morhaf Al Achkar was in a unique position. As a primary care physician (PCP) at University of Washington Medicine, he knew he needed to act quickly when he started experiencing ongoing and worsening shortness of breath. An X-ray showed that his lungs were full of fluid, and a pathology report confirmed what he had already started to suspect: lung cancer. Within a month of his diagnosis, he was taking a targeted oral treatment, an option he was eligible for due to the ALK (Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase) gene found during his initial testing.