Article

25 Things About Me

Author(s):

I have stage 4 lung cancer. Here are 24 other things about me.

  1. I have stage 4 lung cancer; the histology is invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma.
  2. I was diagnosed when I was 45 years old.
  3. The youngest of my three children was seven.
  4. That was 10 years ago — it will be 11 years in April (woohoo!)
  5. My first line of treatment was a lower left lobectomy followed by four rounds of adjuvant chemotherapy.
  6. Staged at 1b initially, I was hoping I’d be cured.
  7. My cancer came back almost immediately.
  8. For two years, we watched and waited as there were no other viable treatments.
  9. By June 2008, I had more than 33 tumors in my lungs and a biopsy confirmed metastatic spread.
  10. I was told I had three to five months to live.
  11. This was one week before my daughter got married.
  12. Even though EGFR-negative, I started Tarceva (erlotinib) as a last ditch effort and began to say goodbye to family.
  13. At a scan review in September, it was clear that my cancer was spreading but there was good news.
  14. My biopsy showed that I was ALK-positive and a phase 1 trial targeting ALK mutations had just opened.
  15. On October 1, 2008, I became the fourth person in the world with NSCLC to take Xalkori (crizotinib).
  16. I felt better within days of regular dosing.
  17. My scan review six weeks later showed almost complete resolution of the cancer in my lungs.
  18. I took Xalkori for three years before progression forced me to switch therapies.
  19. I enrolled on another phase 1 clinical trial for Zykadia (ceritinib/LDK378) with similar results.
  20. This time, I got 18 months out of an experimental therapy.
  21. When I came off trial, I returned to chemotherapy again for six months and then I took a break.
  22. I went almost a year without treatment (glorious!) but I was also becoming more symptomatic.
  23. In May 2014, I enrolled into my third phase 1 clinical trial for PF-006463922/lorlatinib — once again I responded.
  24. My cancer has been stable for 18 months and I feel fabulous.
  25. I can’t wait to share more of my story with the readers of CURE!

Newsletter

Stay up to date on cancer updates, research and education

Related Videos
Image of man with text.
An expert highlights the impact of anemia in myelofibrosis and presented Ojjaara as a possible treatment to reduce transfusions and improve outcomes.
After ovarian cancer surgery, Mary Barbera spent three months in rehab before finally returning home, a milestone that marked her emotional recovery.
Terry Gillespie said the hardest parts of her cancer journey were the isolation, the impact of chemotherapy, and how unprepared she felt despite good guidance.
Dr. Erika Hamilton says social media and professional guidelines help patients stay informed about fast-changing breast cancer treatments and advances.
Outpatient CAR T-cell therapy has reduced hospital stays by two-thirds while maintaining safety for those with blood cancers, according to Dr. Olalekan Oluwole.
Related Content