WTOP's Neal Augenstein is among a growing number of non-smokers to be diagnosed with lung cancer, and he's sharing his experience in an effort to raise awareness about the disease.
At 63 years old, Augenstein said he was enjoying life as a husband and father, successful journalist and longtime member of the band he started decades ago.
"Everything was going as planned, and then in September, I noticed that I was coughing more than I usually did," Augenstein said.
That cough eventually led to a series of tests, and, then, the diagnosis.
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"I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. When I heard that sentence that I dreaded hearing, 'You have cancer,' there was a sentence that followed it that said, 'We're already on it and we'll be figuring out what to do,'" he said.
Augenstein said he never smoked a day in his life.
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"Thankfully, it is a slow-growing and slow-progressing cancer. But it's cancer, and I've got it. So I know very well that people who don't smoke can get it," he said.
About 10 to 20 percent of lung cancers in the United States happen in people who never smoked or have smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Doctors also have said more people who don't smoke are getting the disease.
"I do feel for people who have been smoking for a long time because often the cancer that they get is one that grows much faster," Augenstein said.
He said he's getting treatments while keeping up with his work schedule from home.
Augenstein said he's sharing his cancer journey on social media in part to raise awareness.
"My being able to talk about it gives me a chance to wrap my head around it. I want to be one of the people who lives a really long time with lung cancer, and, you know, that's my hope," he said.
