Stage I EGFR Lung Cancer: Shira's Survivor Story
This lung cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage I
- Biomarkers
- EGFR exon 20 insertion
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- surgery and surveillance
- Outcome
- Cancer-Free / NED
Treatment course, step by step
- Full-body MRI found a lung mass
- Follow-up chest CT, diagnostic CT, bronchoscopy biopsy, lung function testing, and PET scan supported early-stage lung cancer without lymph-node spread
- Surgery removed the tumor the Monday after diagnosis
- Source states she did not need chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy
- Tumor testing later showed low recurrence risk, so monitoring/surveillance was recommended
- EGFR exon 20 insertion was discussed, but no drug was used because additional treatment was not needed.
What happened, in summary
Shira felt completely healthy. She was a lifelong runner, had no lung symptoms, and almost skipped the full-body MRI her husband kept encouraging her to do. The scan found a lung mass but described it as a minor finding if she had no symptoms. Her father, a lung doctor, explained that lungs are better evaluated with a chest CT, so she eventually followed up. A radiologist friend reviewed the CT and quickly arranged repeat imaging, a pulmonology visit, and a bronchoscopy. Shira still ran 6 miles on the Monday morning before the appointment. That day, doctors told her they thought she had lung cancer. A PET scan showed the tumor was active but did not show lymph-node spread. Biomarker discussion included an EGFR exon 20 insertion. Because the cancer was caught at Stage IB, it was large enough to see but still small enough to remove surgically. Vanderbilt removed it the following Monday, only about 1 week after she learned she had cancer. She spent a few days in the hospital with a chest tube, then recovered at home. Her tumor was later categorized as low risk of recurrence. She did not need chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy. As of February 2026, Shira described herself as cancer-free and was advocating for earlier lung cancer detection.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by The Patient Story. 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.