What happened, in summary

Suzanne was a regular runner who usually covered 5 to 7 miles a day, so feeling sluggish during a morning run in October 2019 seemed like bronchitis at first. She saw her doctor before an upcoming race, and a chest X-ray quickly led to more scans. Within days, she was told she had Stage IV lung cancer. Suzanne focused first on protecting her husband and daughter emotionally, then on learning what she needed to know. A blood biomarker test was negative, but a tissue biopsy found that the tumor carried an ALK mutation. She started alectinib on Thanksgiving 2019. That first targeted therapy kept the cancer stable for almost 4 years. In mid-2023, the cancer progressed. Suzanne had another comprehensive tissue biopsy, and a new variant was identified. She then started brigatinib and completed 1 round of radiation, with the goal of becoming stable again. Her course included ALK-positive Stage IV lung cancer, first-line alectinib, later progression, brigatinib, and radiation. Suzanne’s story also shows a shift in how she approached care: at first she let her oncology team lead, but over time she added an ALK specialist, learned about trials and side effects, and became a more active leader in treatment decisions.