Stage IV ALK Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Suzanne's Patient Story
This lung cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Subtype
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Biomarkers
- ALK mutation identified on tissue biopsy; blood biomarker test was negative
- Sex
- Female
- Spread to
- Not specified
- Treatment
- targeted therapy and radiation
- Outcome
- Setback / Progression
Treatment course, step by step
- October 2019 diagnosis followed chest X-ray and scans
- Blood biomarker test was negative, but tissue biopsy found an ALK mutation
- Alectinib started on Thanksgiving 2019
- Disease stayed stable for almost 4 years
- Progression occurred in mid-2023, and new tissue biopsy found another variant
- Current treatment is brigatinib plus 1 completed round of radiation.
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.
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
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