Stories of Hope

[해뜰]

I was diagnosed with non-mall cell lung cancer, Stage 4B, five years ago. I was a healthy mother of three, a wife, a Navy veteran, and a practicing Nurse Anesthetist for nearly 40 years. While working one night at the hospital I began having chest and neck pressure and pain. I went to the Emergency Room after my shift where I learned I had a mass growing out of my left lung, attached to my heart and chest wall. When diagnosed 10 days later, I was told I had perhaps 100 days to live, maybe 120 days if I chose chemotherapy, and sent home on palliative care. The oncologist did something considered quite novel at the time by sending comprehensive biomarker/genomic testing of my tumor.
 
Unknown to me, my husband was hurriedly searching online for treatments. Fortunately, he discovered a drug trial for my tumor mutation that was launching a Phase I cohort.  To be eligible, I had to complete the standard chemotherapy treatment (which were predicted to and did fail) prior to entering the drug trial. I was enrolled in the earliest phase of the clinical trial. I would receive targeted therapy (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor or TKI) for my tumor mutation (RET). 
 
December 8, 2023 will be my six-year cancer diagnosis anniversary date.  In these 5 years, I have renewed my vows with my husband on our 30th wedding anniversary, celebrated my mother’s 98th birthday, witnessed all three of our children’s weddings and, four wonderful grandchildren have filled my heart with love. The drug trial has now ended, it’s been approved and is on the market as standard therapy for people with the RET mutation. I have MRI and CT scans on July 27th , and am hoping my cancer is still being held at bay. I take my medication at home daily, which allows me to live as normal a life as possible.

My story of survivorship is unusual for its critical path of testing, discovery of a clinical trial, and just-in-time treatment.  It is indicative of how fast diagnostics and therapeutics are advancing and the acute need for expanding the use of comprehensive genomic testing and access to clinical trials to positively change the treatment of lung cancer and promote cures.
My personal encouragement to others is NEVER give up, ALWAYS have hope, and LIVE your life.

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I am a Lung Cancer survivor. On January 8, 2017 I had chest pains. These weren’t new but they were different and actually I had been having intermittent chest pains but they always went away. This time seemed different, and my daughter insisted that I go to the ER. I went to the ER and as a 66 year old woman, they took me into triage immediately. My heart was fine. But the nurse came into the room and said they found a mass in the upper lobe of my right lung. The CT scan confirmed this. I went home and then met with an oncologist the next day. He did not think that I had lung cancer. The pulmonologist was next on my list and he too thought that perhaps I had an infection but scheduled a PET scan. The PET scan showed a mass and the diagnosis was Cancer stage Ib, infection, or fungus. I had a bronchoscopy on February 1st. I failed the test. I had lung cancer.

 
On February 16th, I had a lobectomy and unfortunately 8 of 13 lymph nodes showed abnormalities which moved me from Stage Ib to IIIa. Surgery was followed by chemotherapy and radiation. As I didn’t lose my hair, I really didn’t have to share my diagnosis with anyone. I shared it with family and a few friends. To a new person, there was a “shocked” reaction. How could I have lung cancer? I never smoked. I exercise. I eat well. But, I have a biomarker. In the long run, I was lucky.
 
I had a great team of doctors. When my diagnosis was clear, I was offered options for treatment. For me the choice was simple—surgery. Everyone might not make this choice. My surgery was followed by chemotherapy and radiation. My last radiation session was on the morning of July 27, 2017. This was also the day that our second grandson was born!
 
I was cancer free for two years and then, in June 2020, my scan picked up many nodules. I started Tagrisso and I now have no evidence of disease. I have also started to open up about my cancer. Recently, I became a mentor with both Lung Cancer Initiative and Lungevity. These relationships are important for both the mentor and the mentee. Lung cancer is almost a hidden disease and it is hard to find others with Lung Cancer. With a few other lung cancer friends we revamped a local support group. Now, it is time for more public advocacy as a way to have more people talk about lung cancer and realize that anyone can get lung cancer. It is also time to think about lung cancer as a chronic medical issue rather than a terminal disease.

[창밖]

Overcoming all diseases is to have the hope of encouragement and will of yourself and the people around you..

[아네트]

I really hope that scientists can quickly make the medicine so that all the cancers in the world are gone.
Have a good day, everyone~

[모나미볼펜]

Of course.. I agree with you 아네트님^^