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.