An Unthinkable Diagnosis, an Unstoppable Spirit: Ann’s Cancer Comeback

When 39-year-old mother of three, Ann M., first noticed fatigue and mental fog in early 2014, she assumed it was the busy pace of family life. Her symptoms intensified, however, leading to weight loss and coughing up blood. Initially thought to be pneumonia, further tests revealed shocking news: Ann had stage IV lung cancer that had spread to her brain, liver, spine, hip, and lymph nodes. Doctors initially gave her a month to live, but Ann’s strength and resolve proved otherwise.

She began with chemotherapy and genetic testing at the Mass General Cancer Center, where she discovered she had ROS1-positive lung cancer—a rare genetic mutation causing cancer cells to grow uncontrollably. Although the targeted drug that could fight ROS1 had only been approved for another type of lung cancer, Ann’s oncologist, Dr. Zosia Piotrowska, leveraged it for her treatment. The results were nothing short of miraculous: just nine months after diagnosis, her scans showed no signs of cancer—“as if the cancer had melted away.”

While small recurrences appeared in Ann’s brain every six months, doctors successfully treated each one with radiation therapy. Remarkably, she has been clear of cancer since 2021. Reflecting on her journey, Ann says, “We are so grateful for our wonderful team at Mass General and all the support from family and friends. We are also grateful that we have the opportunity to effectively treat this disease and live a relatively normal life.”

Today, Ann directs her energies toward teaching meditation to fellow cancer survivors, guiding them toward the same inner peace and resilience that helped her heal. “It’s such a gift for me that I can be here and share my story so somebody out there knows that they can survive and they can thrive,” Ann shares. Her incredible recovery stands as a testament to ongoing innovation in cancer treatment and the power of hope—even in the face of a life-altering diagnosis.