Signature Program · Lung Cancer

From Stigma to Celebration

The science has moved on. It's time for the culture to catch up.

From Stigma to Celebration is a national lung cancer survivorship movement that connects cultural narrative change to measurable action across screening, biomarker testing, and clinical trials. The movement is fiscally sponsored by PatAdvHub, which provides the 501(c)(3) home and infrastructure so the program team can stay focused on patients, families, and the science that's changing what a lung cancer diagnosis means today.

Join the Movement Lung Cancer Resources Support This Program

The Problem

Lung cancer carries a stigma no other cancer does.

For decades, lung cancer has been framed as a disease patients somehow brought on themselves. That stigma suppresses screening, delays diagnosis, and reduces the support patients and families receive — and it affects everyone with lungs, including the growing number of people diagnosed who never smoked. The result is later-stage disease, fewer conversations with clinicians, and a community that too often grieves in silence.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. — about 125,000 lives expected in 2025.

1 in 8

About 1 in 8 people diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked (roughly 12%).

1 in 5

Only about 1 in 5 eligible adults is screened for lung cancer.

Sources: American Cancer Society and American Lung Association, 2025.

The Movement

Changing the story, backed by science.

From Stigma to Celebration reframes lung cancer from a story of blame to a story of survivorship and celebration — rooted in science, equity, and the real experiences of patients and families. It is powered by the same four pillars as every PatAdvHub program: Fiscal Sponsorship, Patient Education, Community Connectivity, and Real-World Evidence — applied specifically to the lung cancer community.

Fiscal Sponsorship

A 501(c)(3) home for the movement, stewarded by PatAdvHub.

Patient Education

Plain-language resources on screening, biomarker testing, and trials.

Community Connectivity

Connecting survivors, caregivers, clinicians, and cultural champions.

Real-World Evidence

Surfacing patient experience data to inform care and policy.

Voices Leading the Movement

The people behind From Stigma to Celebration.

Movement Architect

PatientCore

PatientCore is a strategic patient engagement and advocacy organization that works with healthcare companies, nonprofits, and community leaders to elevate the patient voice in healthcare. Through From Stigma to Celebration, PatientCore serves as the movement architect, bringing together partners, developing national campaigns, and creating platforms that amplify the voices of people affected by lung cancer.

With more than 155 advocacy organizations in its partnership network and 17 oncology drug launches over 17 years through Pixacore, PatientCore brings deep roots in the cancer community. Co-founded by Sanjiv Mody and Marty Murphy, who together have spent 16+ years building platforms that connect patients, advocates, and the healthcare industry, PatientCore is the strategic engine behind From Stigma to Celebration. The team behind FSTC also includes Cristina Lilley, whose background in public health policy and patient navigation strengthens the movement's foundation in health equity and community engagement.

Champion

Chris Draft

Chris Draft spent 12 seasons as an NFL linebacker — a Stanford captain known for his intensity — but his defining work began off the field. In 2010, his girlfriend Keasha, a healthy non-smoker, was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. On November 27, 2011, Chris and Keasha married, and at their wedding they launched Team Draft to fight the disease — in lieu of gifts, Keasha asked their guests to give to the cause. One month later, she passed away at just 38. Lung cancer had already taken his uncle, a U.S. Marine — making the fight personal twice over.

Out of that loss, Chris built a movement. For more than 13 years — through Team Draft and the Chris Draft Family Foundation — he has visited 600+ cancer centers, championed the White Ribbon movement, and become the NFL's national voice on lung cancer, putting survivors on the game's biggest stages. A LUNGevity Hero, he carries one truth everywhere: if you have lungs, you can get lung cancer. He anchors the cultural heart of From Stigma to Celebration.

Patient & Caregiver Voices

Jeff Phillips

Stage IV Lung Cancer Survivor · Mission Viejo, CA

Diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in March 2018, Jeff began immunotherapy and took up walking to combat fatigue and protect his mental health. He reached No Evidence of Disease in July 2020 and has since walked more than 9,600 miles. Now a passionate advocate — and a 2025 NFL Crucial Catch Captain with the Los Angeles Rams — Jeff lives by a simple message: "If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer."

Featured Story

Survivor story coming soon.

We're partnering with members of the lung cancer community to share their journey — diagnosis, treatment, and where they are today — in their own words.

Lung Cancer Resources

Trusted organizations in the lung cancer community.

Chris Draft Family Foundation / Team Draft

The cultural platform behind the lung cancer survivorship movement, working with patients, caregivers, and cancer centers across the country.

Visit website

LUNGevity Foundation

Patient-focused lung cancer nonprofit providing education, support, and research investment across the lung cancer community.

Visit website

GO2 for Lung Cancer

Education, screening navigation, and survivor support for people facing or at risk for lung cancer.

Visit website

See all PatAdvHub resources

A movement with a 501(c)(3) home.

PatAdvHub provides the 501(c)(3) home and infrastructure behind From Stigma to Celebration. Partnership and giving inquiries — corporate, foundation, and individual — flow through PatAdvHub so the movement's team can stay focused on patients and program.

Partner With the Movement Support the Movement