In 2023, Dionne Harman was feeling in perfect health—until a full-body scan delivered a jarring revelation: She had stage 3 lung cancer. The impetus for her to get checked out? An Instagram post by Kim Kardashian. "I think she posted a selfie in scrubs standing in front of the [Prenuvo] machine," Harmon recalls. But it was the flood of negative comments that made her pause mid-scroll and take notice. "People were saying things like, ‘Oh my God, she’s so out of touch. People can’t afford this kind of test; how dare she?’" Meanwhile, Harmon recalls thinking, “What the hell is Prenuvo?” She says she immediately looked it up.
The Emmy producer—alongside her fiancé Jesse Collins, whose eponymous company produces The Emmys, the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and more—found herself intrigued by Prenuvo, a relatively new company offering advanced MRI scans. Priced between $2,500 and $5,000 for a full-body scan, it’s not exactly budget-friendly, but Prenuvo claims to offer people an unprecedented look inside their bodies, potentially catching serious health issues before it’s too late. Kardashian is a paid spokesperson for the brand. “There was like a three- to four-month wait before we could even get an appointment,” Harmon says of herself and her fiancé. At the time, she admits, she was more concerned about his health. “We both work incredibly hard and don’t always take care of ourselves the way we should. And sadly, several of our friends have died suddenly from heart attacks—this is a high-stress world. Jesse even started his own company after his boss, John Cossette, died of a massive heart attack, so there’s always been that underlying fear.”
After both undergoing the scans in March 2024, “Jesse was the picture of health,” Harmon says. “He needed to work on his posture, but otherwise, everything looked good.” Their results couldn’t have been more different. Harmon received alarming and unexpected news from her scan. “They told me, ‘There appears to be a fairly large mass in your right lung, and you need to see a pulmonologist as soon as possible.’ I was like, ‘What? What do you mean? What’s a pulmonologist?’” She scheduled an appointment immediately. “At first, the pulmonologist kind of dismissed it, saying these new machines aren’t that reliable and that it might be a mistake,” she recalls. But after a chest X-ray, she was rushed to a radiologist for a PET/CT scan. That’s when she was told she needed a biopsy.
It wasn’t until she met with Dr. Graeme Rosenberg of USC’s Keck Medicine in Los Angeles, a professor and thoracic surgeon, that Harmon received her lung cancer diagnosis. “I think lung cancer is widely misunderstood,” Rosenberg tells PEOPLE. “Many people assume it’s strictly a smoker’s disease, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Most lung cancers are discovered incidentally in non-smokers.” That was precisely the case with Harmon. “Lung cancer is usually asymptomatic until it reaches an advanced stage, where it either invades the chest wall and causes pain or becomes so aggressive that it leads to bleeding, airway obstruction, or pneumonia,” Rosenberg explains.
Fortunately, Harmon—who had shown no symptoms—hadn’t reached that point. During surgery, performed using a doctor-controlled robotic arm via a cutting-edge machine called The Da Vinci, Rosenberg discovered that what initially appeared to be stage 1 or 2 lung cancer was actually stage 3.
"There were a couple of shocking revelations in her pathology report, including the discovery of a lymph node harboring a minuscule, microscopic metastatic nodule," Rosenberg explains. "We were incredibly fortunate to have brought her into our care at USC promptly, ensuring she underwent surgery without delay. The concern, after all, is that lung cancer can swiftly metastasize to the next 'station' in the chain of lymph nodes." Or, as Harmon’s pulmonologist bluntly put it to her, "'If you had discovered this six months later, our conversation would have shifted to making your remaining days as comfortable as possible,'" she recalls, her voice tinged with gravity. "I would have died, no doubt about it."
The surgery was a resounding success. Recovery, however, proved to be an arduous journey. "I'm fiercely independent, bursting with Type-A energy, and I despise relying on others. Having my mom assist me in the bathroom and wipe me down was surreal, almost insane," she confesses. As for her fiancé, "the way he stepped up to the plate, juggling everything effortlessly, being my unwavering rock... It was remarkable how he instantly shifted into support mode. Nothing else mattered except ensuring I was okay and navigating through this ordeal."
Harmon had mentally steel herself for rounds of grueling chemotherapy and radiation. Yet, following the surgery, she discovered she qualified for a far less arduous drug therapy that precisely targeted the specific mutation of her tumor. Now, a year and a half later, "I'm basically halfway through a three-year regimen of taking a pill daily, with lung scans every six months. Everything has remained clear," she shares with a sense of relief.
Earlier this year, she decided to mark her recovery in a monumental way. "I thought, 'I'm going to run the Paris marathon,'" she declares, "just to prove to myself that I could, a year after my surgery and with only a fraction of my right lung intact." And she did just that, with her fiancé and family cheering her on from the sidelines. "She's a remarkable woman," Rosenberg praises. "After surgery, she embraced a healthy diet, asked pertinent questions, and took a proactive stance."
He and Harmon have even joined forces to establish a lung cancer awareness foundation, advocating for early screenings. "It's been a wild ride," she reflects. A full-circle moment occurred earlier this year when she had the opportunity to personally thank Kim Kardashian for the inadvertent role she played. "My fiancé shared my story with Kim’s publicist, and she immediately said, 'I’m going to text her right now!' Before we knew it, she made a post about it. Being able to thank her in person was incredible. We ended up sending her this massive floral arrangement, and she was incredibly gracious," Harmon recounts.
"Thank you @jessecollinsent and @dionnenicoleharmon for sharing your story and allowing me to share it in hopes of saving lives," Kardashian posted to PEOPLE after learning of Harmon's journey. "While Prenuvo may not be accessible to everyone, it has been life-changing for many I know. Your health is your greatest wealth, and I can't imagine a more meaningful investment for yourself and your loved ones." Adds Harmon, "It felt empowering to tell her, 'Someone tried to tear you down, but it ended up having the opposite effect and saving my life, so thank you for posting.'"
These days, Harmon is all about paying it forward and spreading the message. "All of my friends have now undergone Prenuvo scans. Most have been receptive, and a couple have discovered issues they needed to address, putting them ahead of the curve. It's been truly amazing," she shares. But more than anything, she has gained a completely new perspective on life. "It still feels surreal," she muses about all she's endured. "It made me reevaluate my life. I used to work relentlessly. This experience has taught me to step back and prioritize what truly matters. I've learned to delegate, say 'no,' and focus more on my friends and family."
