What happened, in summary

Nadine Beech was 27, healthy and a non-smoker when she was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer in 1997. After she started spitting up blood following a water-skiing accident, the problem was first treated as a bruised lung. Several doctors later, an 8 cm tumor was found in the lower lobe of her left lung. Nadine had a lobectomy to remove that cancerous lobe and returned to intense fitness within 6 weeks. In 1999, a routine CT scan showed the lung cancer had returned in her right lung. At MD Anderson, doctors found 3 right-lung tumors, each under 1 cm. Because the tumors were growing slowly and a drug option was expected soon, her team chose surveillance. Nadine had CT scans every 6 months for 7 years. In 2005, genetic testing showed a germline BRCA1 mutation, so she had a double mastectomy and hysterectomy to reduce breast and ovarian cancer risk. In 2007, she began daily Tarceva and stayed on it for 9 years despite diarrhea, nausea, fatigue and acne. In April 2016, a cough led to an early CT scan that showed the right-lung tumors had grown to 8 cm and involved the upper and middle lobes. She had a right bilobectomy in 2016. As of November 2016, Nadine was cancer-free and planned CT surveillance every 3 to 6 months.