“This one is extra special to me because my son Tennessee is playing sax on it with me! His first album credit ever! Quite a first credit!!”

For Freese, the milestone carries extra weight. The touring musician, who never smoked, thought he had pulled a muscle. Instead, doctors diagnosed him with stage 3 lung cancer. He had no symptoms, and the cancer was found by accident.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ⚓️⚓️Jason Freese⚓️⚓️ (@therealjasonfreese)

His story is a reminder that lung cancer doesn’t only affect smokers. It’s also a reminder of what survivors hold onto after a diagnosis: watching their kids grow, chase their passions, and, in Freese’s case, follow them into the music.

“Couldn’t be more proud of my little guy. I finally gave him his own Instagram page for his drums!” Freese previously said about his son in an Instagram post.

Jason’s Diagnosis Hit Hard—and Fast

Freese’s cancer journey began in January 2024 with what he thought was a pulled muscle.

“I told my wife, I said, ‘I’m going to go to the ER, I think I’m having a heart attack,’” he recalled.

Instead, doctors delivered a shocking diagnosis: stage 3 lung cancer.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ⚓️⚓️Jason Freese⚓️⚓️ (@therealjasonfreese)

“ON MY BIRTHDAY, I was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer,” Freese posted on Instagram.
“I was, like, offended when they said the C word … that’s a scary word.”

Lung cancer is notoriously difficult to detect early. Symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath often mimic less serious conditions, meaning many patients don’t receive a diagnosis until the disease has advanced.

WATCH: Detecting lung cancer in the absence of symptoms.

Music Paused, Health Prioritized

Freese, known for his keyboard and saxophone work with Green Day, had to step away from the stage to focus entirely on treatment.

“It was the first time in my life where I wasn’t playing or writing or doing anything, but I wasn’t aware of it because I was so hyper-focused on just health and getting healthy,” he said.

His treatment included chemotherapy, surgery to remove half of his left lung, and radiation. Despite the physical toll, Freese remained committed to his role as a father.

“Unless I was having a really rough day, maybe like two days after chemo, I made it a point to drive the kids to school every day, to pick them up from school every day, just so they could see that everything is going to be okay,” he explained.

Adapting After Lung Cancer Surgery

The lungs have a remarkable ability to compensate after surgery, particularly when patients begin with healthy baseline lung function.

While some patients notice temporary shortness of breath during recovery, many ultimately return to their normal routines and activities.

In fact, Dr. Andrea Wolf, a lung cancer surgeon at Mount Sinai Health System, says she’s seen impressive examples of recovery after lung cancer surgery.

“I’ve had high-level athletes, including professional athletes, continue to compete at a high level after lung resection,” she says.

Those experiences highlight an important reality for newly diagnosed patients: losing part of a lung does not automatically mean losing the ability to live an active and fulfilling life.

Ringing the Bell—and Reclaiming Joy

Nearly eight months after his diagnosis, Freese completed treatment and rang the cancer bell at UCI Health—a symbolic moment of triumph.

“It has been an incredibly hard journey, emotionally and obviously physically as well,” he said.

Experts often encourage cancer patients to stay connected to sources of joy and purpose, which can help ease the emotional burden of treatment. For Freese, that joy is music—and now, watching his son embrace it.

Moments like Colt’s drum solo aren’t just cute—they’re deeply meaningful. They represent survival.

Jason Freese Says He ‘Was Never a Smoker’: Smoking and Lung Cancer Risk

“I was never a smoker, nor was I around smokers. I had zero symptoms and discovered it completely by accident!!” Freese said, adding to the surprising impact of his shocking diagnosis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 80 to 90% of lung cancer deaths are linked to cigarette smoking. Those who smoke are 15 to 30 times more likely to develop lung cancer or die from the disease than nonsmokers. Additionally, exposure to secondhand smoke can also cause lung cancer, reinforcing the urgent need for smoking cessation and prevention strategies.

WATCH: Smoking and Cancer Risk

While smoking remains the primary cause, nonsmokers can and do develop lung cancer. Researchers are making strides in understanding the differences between lung cancer in smokers vs. nonsmokers, according to Dr. Ronald Natale, a medical oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. These discoveries are fueling the development of targeted treatments aimed at the genetic drivers of lung cancer in nonsmokers.

“Among patients who are nonsmokers, or former very light smokers, we identify a mutation that we can target with pills in about 60% to 70% of them,” Dr. Natale explains. “That leaves 30% or so, 40%, in whom we either have a target for which we do not have a successful treatment.”

For longtime smokers, the picture is more complicated.

“Among patients who are smokers, who have more complex cancers that have hundreds, sometimes thousands of mutations, don’t have a driver mutation that we can give a pill for, which is only a tiny percentage of lifelong smokers. Chemotherapy is the primary treatment in most patients,” Dr. Natale adds.

With new therapies targeting specific genetic mutations, lung cancer treatment continues to evolve. However, prevention remains key—reducing tobacco use and promoting early detection efforts could make a significant impact in the fight against lung cancer.

Helping You Better Understand Lung Cancer

Lung cancer forms when cancer cells develop in the tissues of the lung. It is the second most common form of cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the U.S., SurvivorNet experts say. It’s “completely asymptomatic,” says thoracic surgeon-in-chief at Temple University Health System Dr. Joseph Friedberg.

“It causes no issues until it has spread somewhere. So, if it spreads to the bones, it may cause pain. If it spreads to the brain, it may cause something not subtle, like a seizure,” Dr. Friedberg adds.

WATCH: Understanding the Lung Cancer Staging Process

Scans such as X-rays can help doctors determine if a shadow appears, which can prompt further testing for lung cancer.

Lung cancer often doesn’t cause symptoms until it has already spread outside the lungs, according to SurvivorNet’s experts.

There are two main types of lung cancer, which doctors group together based on how they act and how they’re treated:

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type and makes up about 85% of cases.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is less common, but it tends to grow faster than NSCLC and is treated very differently.
Some people with lung cancer may experience symptoms such as:

• A worsening cough that produces bloody phlegm
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Chest pain
• Hoarse voice
• Appetite loss
• Weight loss

If you are experiencing these kinds of symptoms consistently, contact your doctor for further tests.

WATCH: How Immunotherapy Helped Give This Lung Cancer Patient a Fighting Chance

Treatment options for lung cancer depend on its type, its location, and its staging. In general, treatment methods include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of any of these treatments.

How Molecular Testing Helps Lung Cancer Patients

Lung cancer treatment has seen notable progress, partly because of molecular testing and profiling. This type of testing helps better understand specific genetic alterations and mutations that drive the growth, development, and progression of cancer cells. Some of these molecular characteristics can be targeted using precise and effective new therapies to improve patient outcomes. Ultimately, understanding the molecular profile of each person’s cancer allows oncologists to use customized and personalized treatments.

RELATED Next-Generation Sequencing in Lung Cancer

There are several next-generation sequencing (NGS) tests you may encounter, depending on where you are getting treatment and what you are getting treatment for. Here are some of the common ones currently on the market:

• FoundationOne®CDx looks at 324 genes in solid tumors and says results can take up to 12 days. Test results include microsatellite instability (MSI) and tumor mutational burden (TMB) to help inform immunotherapy decisions.
• OmniSeq Insight provides comprehensive genomic and immune profiling for all solid tumors. It looks for 523 different genes. Test results include microsatellite instability (MSI) and tumor mutational burden (TMB), as well as PD-L1 by immunohistochemistry (IHC).
• Cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 identifies 42 mutations in exons 18, 19, 20, and 21 of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene. It is designed to test tissue and plasma specimens with a single kit, allowing labs to run tissue and plasma simultaneously on the same plate.

Questions for Your Doctor

If you find yourself diagnosed with lung cancer and are concerned about the long-term impacts, here are some questions you can ask your doctor.

• Has my cancer spread to other parts of the body?
• Based on my cancer stage, what are my treatment options?
• What are the side effects of my recommended treatment?
• Are there ways to help minimize the effects of treatment?
• How long will I be unable to work or carry out my daily activities?
• What financial resources are available to get the treatments I need?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

---