Stage II ALK Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Stephanie's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Stephanie’s lung cancer story began with a mild cough in spring 2021. She thought it might be allergies or weather-related, but when it persisted, she mentioned it during a routine check-up. A chest X-ray showed a lung mass, and a CT scan showed a spiculated mass that raised concern for cancer. A bronchoscopy confirmed adenocarcinoma, a type of non-small cell lung cancer. Stephanie had surgery to remove 2 lobes of her lung. The pathology results were encouraging: the margins were clean, the lymph nodes were cancer-free, and there was no vascular or pleural invasion. She was diagnosed with Stage IIB lung cancer. After surgery, biomarker testing showed that the cancer was ALK-positive. Her treatment plan included 4 rounds of chemotherapy followed by daily targeted therapy. She understood that targeted therapy was more commonly used in Stage IV disease, but she chose it to lower the chance of recurrence and stay healthy for her young daughter. As of January 2025, Stephanie had clean scans and bloodwork for 3 years while continuing her daily medication and encouraging others to learn their biomarkers and seek support. The diagnosis also changed how she saw lung cancer, since she had not fit the stereotype and had never expected a persistent cough to lead to surgery and long-term medication.