Stage IV EGFR Lung Adenocarcinoma: Emily's Patient Story
This lung cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Subtype
- Adenocarcinoma
- Biomarkers
- EGFR Exon 19-positive; no other driver mutations present
- Sex
- Female
- Spread to
- Intrathoracic lymphatic spread
- Treatment
- targeted therapy and a clinical trial
- Outcome
- In Memory
Treatment course, step by step
- Wheezing and worsening imaging after presumed pneumonia
- bronchoscopy biopsies showed lung adenocarcinoma throughout sampled areas
- Stage IV disease contained within the chest cavity
- biomarker testing showed EGFR Exon 19-positive and no other driver mutations
- once-daily targeted pill through a clinical trial, started 1 day early after breathing worsened
- strong early response, with lymphatic spread gone by 2-month follow-up.
What happened, in summary
Emily Bannister was 46, a physician, and a mother of 3 when breathing symptoms led to a Stage IV lung cancer diagnosis. She first noticed wheezing while lying down, shortness of breath, and a fast heart rate with stairs. An urgent-care X-ray looked like pneumonia, but antibiotics did not help and follow-up imaging worsened. CT showed enlarged lymph nodes and widespread changes in her lungs. Bronchoscopy biopsies found lung adenocarcinoma throughout sampled areas. Although the cancer was Stage IV, it was contained within her chest cavity. Her pulmonologist pushed for biomarker testing, and Emily learned that the tumor was EGFR Exon 19-positive with no other driver mutations reported. Instead of chemotherapy, she was offered a once-daily targeted pill and entered a clinical trial. When breathing worsened just before the planned start, her team helped her begin treatment 1 day early. Within about a week, she was off oxygen, could lie on her right side again, and soon returned to tap dancing. At 2 months, the response was excellent and the lymphatic spread was gone. Emily later passed away on March 14, 2023 from complications caused by Stage IV lung cancer. She used her story to support lung cancer research and EGFR-focused advocacy.
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.