Doctor focuses on ‘SMASHING’’ small cell lung cancer

Dr. Misty Shields became interested in lung cancer as a teenager. Personal experience propelled her into the realm of research and patient care.

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

It was nothing flashy. It was something subtle. As she was receiving her infusion treatments, Dana Russell wore a beaded bracelet with a single word: “SMASHER.”

That word may not mean much to others, but to Russell, a Muncie, Ind. resident and mother to three girls – 16 and 7-year-old twins, the word spoke volumes.

Russell, 47, a patient of Dr. Misty Shields, is being treated for small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The bracelet was gifted to her by Dr. Shields to remind Russell that she is not fighting alone.

Dr. Shields joined IU Health in August of 2022 as a thoracic medical oncologist. She is also a researcher in the area of SCLC. For Dr. Shields, her career is as personal as the care she gives her patients.

In 2024, she founded “Small Cell SMASHERS,” an online community dedicated to empowering and educating her patients diagnosed with SCLC. Dr. Shields then partnered with LUNGevity, a nonprofit dedicated to research, education, and support for those diagnosed with lung cancer. The online collaboration reaches more than 1,000 patients and their loved ones around the world.

Each of Dr. Shields’ patients receives a handmade SMASHERS bracelet to remind them of their strength, hope and community of support. Bracelets are also shipped to SMASHERS all over the United States. The bracelets are made by Dr. Shields’ 12-year-old niece who lives in Dallas. Dr. Shields estimates she has made more than 500 bracelets.

“She has her own little business. I pay her to make the bracelets, and she ships them to me,” said Dr. Shields.

The bracelets are only a fraction of the support the SMASHERS network provides. The Small Cell SMASHERS hosts a monthly fireside chat. Dr. Shields was a recent guest on the chat discussing advances in research and patient care. The SMASHERS were also featured in a recent journal about the advancements in SCLC.

Dr. Shields’ professional work began as a translational physician scientist, and morphed into bedside care as transitional medical oncologist, but Dr. Shields’ interest started as a teenager.

The youngest of five, Dr. Shields grew up in Dallas. When she was 13, her father was diagnosed with pneumonia that was ultimately found to be caused by SCLS. He passed in October 2000 when Dr. Shields was 15. Dr. Shields accompanied him to treatments, observing doctors who cared for him.

“It was placed on my heart to pursue oncology,” said Dr. Shields. As a wife and mother of two, she continues to work both on the research side with her own laboratory, and patient care side with her lung cancer clinics at IU Health Simon Cancer Center and IU Health Schwarz Cancer Center. “It’s a team effort. I can’t do research alone and I can’t do patient care alone. One of my biggest philosophies is ‘to be present wherever you are. Be focused – whether it is in the lab or with the patient.’”

According to the American Cancer Society statistics about 13 percent of all lung cancers are SCLC, and about 77 percent are non-small cell lung cancer. Both non-small cell and small cell lung cancer are the second most common cancer in both men and women in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates for lung cancer in the US for 2026 are: About 229,410 cases (110,910 in men and 118,500 in women). Lung cancer commonly occurs in older people - most who are diagnosed are 65 or older – but a small number are diagnosed younger than 45. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, accounting for one in five of all deaths.

“Lung cancer isn’t always associated with tobacco use. Lung cancer can be from many causes,” said Dr. Shields. “About 20-30 percent of patients who get lung cancer have never smoked. For those patients it’s the fifth leading cause of cancer death.” Among the other potential causes she listed are exposure to radon, a radioactive gas, and pollution/poor air quality. Research indicates more women than men are getting lung cancer in Indiana and nationwide, while many (ages 30-49) do not qualify for lung screenings. The American Cancer Society recommends yearly screenings for lung cancer with low-dose CT scan for people aged 50-80 who smoke or used to smoke and have at least a 20 pack-year history of smoking.

“I would say the greatest misconception about lung cancer is the nihilism that has surrounded this disease – that nothing can be done for those diagnosed with SCLC. Nothing could be farther from the truth,” said Dr. Shields. “I have patients with miracle stories where cancer had spread outside the lungs, and with effective treatments, these patients are now in remission with no evidence of cancer. Such breakthroughs in research and clinical trials are changing the outlook for SCLC, said Dr. Shields.

“There is hope for patients with SCLC. Success stories are becoming more common. On our own SMASHERS group, I always sign my social media posts: ‘Keep SMASHING. You’ve got this,’” because I believe we are seeing real-time advancements in research and treatment options.”

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