Stage IV ALK Lung Cancer: Kartik's Patient Story
This lung cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Biomarkers
- EML4/ALK mutation
- Sex
- Male
- Treatment
- a clinical trial and targeted therapy
- Outcome
- In Memory
Treatment course, step by step
- Stage IV lung cancer diagnosed at age 28 while Kartik was a third-year internal medicine resident
- targeted clinical trial for EML4/ALK mutation, allowing him to continue medical work for several years
- Kartik died in 2015 at age 34.
What happened, in summary
Kartik was 28 and a third-year internal medicine resident when he was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. Molecular testing identified an EML4/ALK mutation, and he entered a targeted clinical trial. That treatment allowed him to continue working in medicine for several years, even while living with advanced lung cancer. Kartik died in 2015 at age 34, but his experience continued to shape the people who loved him. Years later, his widow Janaki and her new husband, Harsha, turned their wedding into a fundraiser for GO2 for Lung Cancer. For them, the celebration was not only about a new chapter together; it was also a way to honor Kartik and support other people facing lung cancer. Their guests already knew Kartik’s story, and many were happy to donate in his memory. The fundraiser became a practical expression of grief, gratitude, and hope. Janaki also continued connecting others to GO2 resources, especially families newly affected by lung cancer. As of May 2026, Kartik’s story was an in-memory lung cancer story about a young physician with ALK-rearranged Stage IV disease whose life and treatment experience inspired ongoing advocacy.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by GO2 Foundation. Read the original in full
How we source and attribute stories Accuracy and limitations
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. Read the full disclaimer