What happened, in summary

Anne Laporte, a nurse for about 35 years and an endurance athlete, had a lung nodule followed years earlier and then dismissed because she was a lifelong nonsmoker. Years later, progressive back pain was treated as a sports injury through multiple doctor and emergency-room visits. By the time an MRI was finally done, it showed advanced metastatic cancer throughout her spine. She was diagnosed with Stage IVB non-small cell lung cancer. The primary tumor in the right upper lobe was about 1.4 cm, but cancer had spread through the spine, liver, and lymph nodes. Next-generation sequencing through a blood test showed a large amount of EGFR mutation and other mutations, making targeted therapy central to her care. Anne started Tagrisso on September 18, 2020, along with palliative radiation to help pain. By late November, she felt almost 100% better and could ski, run, and bike again. Side effects included rash and diarrhea. Progression appeared around 7 months, with activity in the lung tumor and spine spots. Her team treated those areas with 5 radiation doses, then moved her into a JNJ clinical trial using weekly infusions plus 3 daily tablets. As of March 2024, early trial testing showed decreased tumor burden, and Anne described being pain-free after starting the trial.