What happened, in summary

Payton Gibbs was 26 and pregnant when symptoms that seemed like reflux, sleep apnea, or infection eventually led to a lung cancer diagnosis. For months, she had thick mucus and phlegm after meals and on waking, acid reflux, wheezing, and episodes of waking up gasping for air. During pregnancy, severe preeclampsia led to hospitalization and early delivery at 34 weeks and 5 days. Around the same time, a CT scan showed what doctors thought was a large abscess in the lower lobe of her left lung.

Because she was pregnant, some procedures were delayed. After delivery, she went home with a PICC line and antibiotics for about 3.5 months. The area initially shrank, then stopped improving. A bronchoscopy was performed, and biopsy showed mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Payton quickly connected with MD Anderson. On December 18, 2023, she had a complete lobectomy, and surgeons removed the tumor successfully. Before surgery, there was no reported spread to lymph nodes or other organs, but final pathology staged the cancer as Stage IIIA because of the large tumor/abscess area. A CT before chemotherapy showed no evidence of disease, but she still completed 4 rounds of adjuvant chemotherapy from February to April 2024. As of August 2024, she described herself as cancer-free and rebuilding her energy.