Stage I EGFR Lung Adenocarcinoma: Ashley's Patient Story
This lung cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage I
- Subtype
- Adenocarcinoma
- Biomarkers
- EGFR-positive
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- surgery, radiation and surveillance
- Outcome
- Care Ongoing
Treatment course, step by step
- Initial surgery removed the upper lobe of the left lung
- Nearby lymph nodes showed no cancer
- Follow-up scans monitored additional lung nodules
- Biopsy of a left-lung nodule at MD Anderson led to 1 week of radiation in May 2019
- Another growing nodule was treated with radiation in December 2020
- EGFR-targeted therapy was discussed only as a future option if radiation could no longer be used.
What happened, in summary
Ashley Stringer was 34 when shortness of breath on the treadmill led to a lung cancer diagnosis. An X-ray showed a suspicious spot on her left lung, and biopsy confirmed Stage IA adenocarcinoma. Tumor testing showed the cancer was EGFR-positive. Because only one spot appeared on imaging, Ashley’s local team recommended surgery to remove the upper lobe of her left lung. The surgery went well, and the lymph nodes around the tumor showed no evidence of disease. She returned to work 3 weeks later and entered follow-up with scans and testing every 3 months. After her first follow-up, more spots on her lungs needed monitoring. When those nodules continued to grow, her oncologist recommended MD Anderson. In April 2019, she met with radiation oncologist Saumil Gandhi, M.D. A left lung nodule was biopsied, and radiation was recommended. Ashley completed 1 week of radiation in May 2019. Over time, another nodule grew, leading to another round of radiation in December 2020. As of May 2021, Ashley was 4 years from diagnosis and still focused on raising her children while living with ongoing surveillance. If her lung nodules keep growing and radiation is no longer the right option, her team has discussed an EGFR-targeted therapy drug as a possible future treatment.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by MD Anderson. Read the original in full
How we source and attribute stories Accuracy and limitations
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team. Read the full disclaimer