A young Chicago woman is turning her own late cancer diagnosis into a mission to help others.

With cancer rates rising among women and lung cancer now impacting more women under 65 than men, self-advocacy is crucial.

"Another moment I can say I'm alive, and I get to do this," Aurora Lucas said.

Lucas and her doctor are talking about her recent overseas trip. Looking at her, you wouldn't guess she's battling lung cancer.

"I can actually remember the date. It was August 14, 2021. I had chest pain, and I had thought it was just anxiety." she said. 

At only age 28, the newlywed and busy teacher initially dismissed her symptoms. As her cough and fatigue worsened, she finally went to see her primary care doctor.

"He said, you know you look good. Your young go home, boil some water, and put some honey in it. I remember staring at him and said, "What?" For me to get to that point of going to my primary care physician, it took a lot because career and everything else was before my health at a young age," she said.

Her symptoms worsened, leading to multiple ER visits.

"They said maybe it's an infection because you weren't born here in the United States, or maybe it's an infection because you travel a lot, or maybe it's something else."

A small haze on her chest was finally discovered on a scan, but yet it took four months and insurance delays before she was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.

"I thought, oh my gosh, if I don't advocate and if I don't get the right care, I'm literally going to die," She said.

That's when she found a specialized team to take her case at Rush University Medical Center.

"Aurora is special. I think she had my heart on day one, and I told my team at that time we have to do everything we have to make sure we're looking at this from as many angles as possible," said radiation oncologist Dr. Gaurav Marwaha.

Sarah Anderson provides support to patients undergoing treatment.

"What used to be a very fearful diagnosis, I think we are now seeing so much hope that we can offer them because of the treatment advancements we've seen," Anderson said.

Aurora's treatment allowed her to first harvest eggs and then go through chemo and radiation. Currently, she takes a daily pill.

"We're moving lung cancer into a chronic disease much like we take care of patients with diabetes or hypertension," Dr. Marwaha said.

Lucas is using her journey to educate others on social media and at medical conferences, promoting awareness, especially in underrepresented communities.

"From my culture as an Asian American woman, I thought it was rude to ask questions or speak up," she said. "I get to prove to myself that my body is still okay and still get to move around where I want to go."

Thanks to early detection and improved treatments, the American Lung Association reports a 26% increase in lung cancer survival rates over the last five years, but only 27% of cases are caught early when survival chances are highest.

If you feel something is wrong, you're encouraged to get screened.