Stage IV ALK Lung Adenocarcinoma: Amanda's Survivor Story
This lung cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Subtype
- Adenocarcinoma
- Biomarkers
- ALK-positive
- Treatment
- targeted therapy
- Outcome
- Cancer-Free / NED
Treatment course, step by step
- The patient started crizotinib twice daily, which kept the cancer stable but caused substantial side effects.
- The patient switched to alectinib twice daily and achieved a complete metabolic response.
- Alectinib continued for more than 2 years with scans every 90 days.
What happened, in summary
At 38, a healthy and active mother of two was diagnosed with Stage IV lung adenocarcinoma in September 2016. The first warning signs were chest pressure and unusual shortness of breath while jogging. An initial hospital visit left uncertainty about the cause, but exploratory surgery at another hospital identified lung adenocarcinoma. Tumor testing later showed that the cancer was ALK-positive.
At MD Anderson, the care team recommended crizotinib, an ALK-targeted therapy taken twice daily. The drug kept the cancer stable, but treatment brought severe nausea, fatigue, low white blood cell counts, and repeated illness. The doctors then recommended switching to alectinib.
Within days of starting alectinib, energy returned, making it possible to exercise and spend more active time with the patient’s daughters. A suspicious chest spot was evaluated for radiation, but radiation was deferred and the targeted therapy resolved the concern. Alectinib continued twice daily for more than 2 years, with return visits to MD Anderson every 90 days for scans.
The treatment produced a complete metabolic response. At the time of the story, there had been no evidence of disease since November 2017 while alectinib continued.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by MD Anderson. 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.