What happened, in summary

Lauren Koy was 25 when years of breathing problems finally led to a lung cancer diagnosis. Since childhood, she had been treated for asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, sinus infections, and upper-respiratory infections. She often wheezed, spiked unexplained fevers, and missed activities she loved, including hiking and running. In 2021, her symptoms became harder to explain. She had repeated infections, chest tightness, leg pain, and a fever that reached 104 degrees. An X-ray showed that her right lung had collapsed, but she was first told the cause might be mucus or scar tissue. Lauren and her mother pushed for a CT scan instead of waiting. The scan showed a tumor blocking the airway to her right lung. On 6 January 2022, she had a bronchoscopy. Doctors removed most of the tumor, opened the airway enough for the lung to re-expand, and biopsied the tissue. Some tumor was left because removing all of it during that procedure was considered too risky. Biopsy showed a CD56-positive neuroendocrine tumor, described as slow growing and possibly present for many years. As of January 2024, her story centered on finally being diagnosed and having the airway reopened after years of symptoms.