Stage I EGFR Lung Adenocarcinoma: Julie's Patient Story
This lung cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage I
- Subtype
- Adenocarcinoma
- Biomarkers
- EGFR exon 19 deletion
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- surgery, targeted therapy and surveillance
- Outcome
- Care Ongoing
Treatment course, step by step
- February 2022 mammogram led to a heart calcium-score CT scan that found a 3 cm left-lung mass
- PET scan showed only that mass
- Robotic bronchoscopy confirmed cancer in August 2022
- Lower left lobectomy in September 2022 removed the tumor with clear margins
- Later fluid around the lung required drainage in January
- Initial follow-up recommended no added treatment, but second opinion at Duke led to Tagrisso/osimertinib
- Monitoring includes CT chest and abdomen with blood work every 3 months and MRI every 6 months.
What happened, in summary
Julie was 42 when a routine mammogram indirectly led to a lung cancer diagnosis. The mammogram showed a calcified blood vessel, so her doctor ordered a calcium score CT scan. That scan found a 3 cm mass in her left lung. A chest CT confirmed it was still there, and a PET scan showed only that mass lighting up. A first bronchoscopy could not reach the difficult location near blood vessels and the heart, but a later robotic bronchoscopy confirmed cancer in August 2022. In September 2022, Julie had a lower left lobectomy. Pathology showed a 3 cm tumor, about 9 mm negative margins, and visceral pleural invasion, making the diagnosis Stage IB lung adenocarcinoma. Recovery included a pleural effusion that had to be drained in January. At first, she was told she did not qualify for adjuvant therapy, but biomarker results showed an EGFR exon 19 deletion. After seeking better EGFR-focused guidance, Julie began Tagrisso/osimertinib at Duke to help hold back possible microscopic disease. She now has CT chest and abdomen scans with blood work every 3 months and MRI every 6 months. Her treatment included surgery, Tagrisso, and surveillance; chemotherapy and radiation were not described.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by Lung Cancer Research Foundation. Read the original in full
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.