Stage III EGFR Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Lauren's Survivor Story
This lung cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage III
- Subtype
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Biomarkers
- EGFR mutation
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- fertility preservation, chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and surveillance
- Outcome
- Cancer-Free / NED
Treatment course, step by step
- At age 38, neck discomfort led to repeat X-ray, CT scan, and Stage III lung cancer diagnosis
- Fertility preservation was completed before cancer treatment
- Chemotherapy and radiation were used first to shrink tumors for surgery
- After about 1 month of recovery, surgery removed half of the left lung
- One-year scan showed no evidence of cancer
- Regular scans continued for recurrence monitoring
- No targeted therapy is reported as received.
What happened, in summary
Lauren was 38 and celebrating her first year as a mother when she began training for a half marathon and noticed what felt like a pulled muscle in her neck. An initial X-ray was explained as a possible old injury, but Lauren did not feel that answer fit, so she asked for another X-ray. That repeat imaging showed a lung mass, and later testing confirmed Stage III lung cancer. In 24 hours, she went from feeling fit with normal bloodwork to facing a CT scan and the fear that she might not live to see her daughter Elle turn 2. Because Lauren hoped to have another child, she completed fertility preservation before treatment. She then received chemotherapy and radiation to shrink the tumors enough for surgical removal. After about 1 month of recovery, surgeons removed half of her left lung. Lauren also learned that her cancer carried an EGFR mutation, a finding often seen in younger nonsmokers with lung cancer. Her 1-year scan showed no evidence of cancer, and she continues regular scans to watch for recurrence. Her treatment included chemotherapy, radiation, fertility preservation, surgery, and surveillance; no EGFR-targeted drug was reported as received.
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.