Stage IV EGFR Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Saila's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Saila Hanninen was 35 in 2016 and had recently completed her ninth marathon and first full Ironman when her health began to change. Slower training times, lower-back pain, a persistent cough, and increasing shortness of breath eventually led to testing. In 2017, she was diagnosed with Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer despite never having smoked. Her tumor carried an EGFR mutation. Saila joined a clinical trial that combined 2 EGFR inhibitors at the same time. The approach controlled her cancer for more than 1 year before the disease progressed. She then moved through additional treatment, including radiation and a second clinical trial. In June, she began chemotherapy infusions, and by the time of the story her cancer was stable. Throughout these changes, Saila used the Finnish word “jaksaa,” meaning strength and endurance, as a personal reminder to keep going. She continued planning her wedding, buying a house, training for future races, and raising money for lung cancer research. Her goal was not to let the treatment schedule decide what she could still do with her life.