06/01/2026
April 25, 2026 was an unforgettable, beautiful day at the University of Colorado Anschutz 5+ Year Lung Cancer Survivor Celebration!
Hosted by Dr. Tejas Patil, this beautiful event brought together more than 140 lung cancer survivors living 5+ years, along with many of their care partners.
It was a powerful reminder of how far we have come, how much hope exists, and why we must keep going.
We are deeply grateful to the University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center and the Thoracic Oncology team for creating a space that honors long-term survivorship, celebrates progress, and gives people affected by lung cancer a powerful sense of hope and community.
The White Ribbon Project Founders were honored to share their presentation, “We’re All Still Here. Together We Are Changing the Story,” celebrating survivorship, hope, advocacy, and the many ways people can get involved to help move this community forward.
What began as a small inaugural gathering in 2018 has grown into a room filled with survivors, care partners, clinicians, researchers, and advocates. That is progress. That is hope in motion.
We were inspired by Dr. Robert Meguid, MD, MPH, Professor of Surgery, who shared new innovations in surgery through his presentation, “Beyond the Operating Room: A Surgeon’s Perspective of What Long-Term Survival Looks Like.”
We were deeply moved by Dr. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, Professor of Thoracic Oncology, whose presentation, “Why We Are Here,” reflected on how far the field has come, both as a clinician-scientist and as a person living four years with stage IV lung cancer.
The day closed with a touching and beautiful piano performance by Dr. Tejas Patil, MD, Assistant Professor of Thoracic Oncology.
It was an inspirational event filled with hope, gratitude, determination, and a clear reminder: long-term survivorship is growing and it matters.
We are still here. Together, we are changing the story.
Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer, and no one ever deserves it.