By Leah Phillips, as informed to Janie McQueen

I was diagnosed with lung most cancers in December 2019. I by no means even tried a cigarette. I didn’t improve up around secondhand smoke. But at very first, ahead of I experienced biomarker tests, doctors instructed me they hoped I’d be alive at Christmas the adhering to calendar year. 

In September 2019, it started off with a cough that was persistent and did not go away. Finally I was misdiagnosed with pneumonia. Then I went in for a further CT scan and it showed lytic lesions — cancer spots — in my spine. A bone biopsy confirmed they’d distribute from my lung to my spine and pelvis.

 

 

The oncologist diagnosed me with stage IV lung cancer and was completely ready to get started me on chemo and immunotherapy. In the meantime, my spouse linked with Dr. Leora Horn at Vanderbilt University Health-related Center by e mail in excess of Christmas split. She reported, “Absolutely, do not permit her set one particular drug in her system.” She needed me to do biomarker screening, and if I have been to start chemo or immunotherapy, it could result in a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) drug remedy I may test rather to not get the job done. 

The Turning Position: Biomarker Testing

The crucial turning level for us – my spouse has been my spouse every action of the way – was receiving biomarker tests. At massive hospitals, that’s the initial thing they do. But lots of smaller sized hospitals, like those people close to us, aren’t exploration pushed. You will need to get a next view and biomarker screening. It is your life.

So mine arrived again exhibiting a genetic mutation identified as an EGFR exon 19 deletion. What breaks that gene and will allow lung most cancers to grow? Radon publicity.

What’s Radon?

Radon is an odorless, tasteless fuel emitted as a result of limestone. Sure parts of the place, like Colorado and Tennessee, have heaps of limestone in the ground. It is emitted day by day, but diluted in the air so a lot that it is not a risk.

But there can be large radon publicity and radon poisoning emitted by way of the limestone that homes or buildings sit on. It can get trapped in the buildings, so you breathe it in. It will take 5 to 25 a long time for the radon to split the gene.

The EPA steps radon by pCi, aka picocurie or “pico” for shorter. It’s the amount of radon’s radioactive decay. A level 4 or down below is deemed Ok. But if, for example, you have a pico looking through of 20 in your house, it is the equal of smoking 40 cigarettes a working day. And although that pico level is large, it’s not even tremendous high.

I grew up in Kentucky, where radon is widespread. It is ever altering. You definitely have to have radon analyzed every 2 to 3 decades. If your radon level comes again large, you can choose to have it mitigated. This suggests you can have a supporter put in your attic. Then a pipe sucks the radon out of your residence and expels it, but retains a continuous stream.

I could attempt to trace again where by I was uncovered to radon, but my electricity is greater spent transferring forward with my therapy.

Specific Therapy a Success

Focused remedy is a form of most cancers remedy. It zeroes in on proteins that immediate the division, growth, and spread of most cancers cells. My doctor at Vanderbilt prescribed Tagrisso (osimertinib mesylate), an approved focused therapy for individuals with EGFR exon lung most cancers. 

The way it functions is, that gene is broken, but targeted therapy tricks your overall body into imagining it is continue to intact. From time to time the most cancers catches on that it’s not the serious deal and mutates.

I started on Tagrisso in December 2019. By December 2020, the main tumor experienced shrunk by 70% and all my bone mets — shorter for metastases, or cancer cells that have unfold to the bones — experienced healed.

We created the determination to be aggressive and move forward with eight significant powered SBRT, aka stereotactic human body radiation remedy. This treatment method employs tremendous targeted, robust radiation doses that assault most cancers cells but aren’t as destructive to wholesome tissue. In concept, this killed any remaining cancer cells that were current in my main tumor. I have remained on Tagrisso and haven’t had any development.

My issue has remained stable, with no cancer advancement. 

They say targeted therapies like Tagrisso can be efficient for 2 to 3 several years right before it stops functioning. Well, it is been just about 3 yrs and it is even now performing. Tagrisso is a new drug — it was accredited in 2018 — so truly the jury is nonetheless out on how extended it can past. I really do not consider the projections get into account the general wellness of the person, possibly. I’m extremely in shape and lively, a chaotic mom of 3, only 43 many years previous at the time of analysis and at the moment 46.

The Takeaway, So Much

I assume a significant as well as for us in this journey has been that we’re educated individuals. We know not to just have faith in what just one medical professional claims. We know how to be our personal advocates. I was working about 20 miles a 7 days, and caring for young children ages 8, 12, and 13, when I was diagnosed. I was like, “I just cannot be finished right here.” I wasn’t prepared to consider this “two decades to live” sentence. We speedily grew to become our very own advocates simply because we had to be.

Lung most cancers is a extremely lonely most cancers. Most individuals diagnosed with it are more mature and have smoked. The basic notion is, “You smoked. You did this to oneself.” Effectively, for a single, I never appear unwell. It’s a substantial stigma you really do not have earned. No other cancer appears to be as isolating. For case in point, people today empathize with you much more if you have a problem like melanoma.

For all those of us who are younger – we make up 20% of lung cancer diagnoses – we’re rolled in with absolutely everyone else. It would seem people really don’t want to commit power to research and funding as much as other sorts of most cancers. This is a hard cancer to have.

But we forge forward. We generate 3 hrs every single 3 months from Louisville to see these experts. I manage a passion for increasing consciousness that anyone can get lung most cancers and for sharing what has worked for me.