Stage IV ALK Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Donna's Patient Story
This lung cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Subtype
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Biomarkers
- ALK mutation
- Sex
- Female
- Spread to
- Not specified
- Treatment
- targeted therapy
- Outcome
- Living With Cancer
Treatment course, step by step
- Diagnosed in January 2015 with Stage IV lung cancer after a persistent cough
- Tumor testing found an ALK mutation
- Ongoing targeted therapy is reported
- The targeted-therapy drug name is not stated
- Additional medicines may be available if the current treatment stops working or the cancer spreads.
What happened, in summary
Donna Preston was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in January 2015. Her only symptom had been a cough that would not go away. At diagnosis, her 5 children were between 9 and 18 years old, and she wanted to keep family life as normal as possible while still being honest with them about what was happening. Tumor testing showed an ALK mutation. Donna did not know about genetic mutations at first, and the Stage IV diagnosis made her fear she would not see her children grow up. Her doctor explained that the ALK finding made the cancer more manageable with targeted therapy. The exact medication name was not reported. What is supported is ongoing targeted therapy for ALK-positive lung cancer. Nearly 9 years after diagnosis, Donna described herself as still here and going strong. She had seen major family milestones, including her oldest daughter getting married. She also understood that if her current targeted therapy stops working or the cancer spreads, more medications may be available. Donna is living with Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer, with treatment continuing and research offering future options.
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.