What happened, in summary

Tiffany was a labor and delivery nurse, Pilates instructor, wife, and mother of twins when shortness of breath and right-sided pain led to a long diagnostic workup during the pandemic. A bronchoscopy was followed by a collapsed lung and hospital stay. Imaging later showed bony disease, and she eventually learned the cancer was Stage IV non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma with spread to the pelvis, right femur, and cervical spine. She sought a second opinion at MD Anderson, where repeat scans and biomarker testing changed the plan. Instead of starting chemotherapy right away, she learned she had an EGFR mutation. Tiffany entered a clinical trial using Tagrisso, which targets EGFR, together with Cyramza, an IV medicine given every 3 weeks. Her monitoring included CT scans, chest X-rays, and brain MRIs because lung cancer can spread to the brain. Treatment worked well for about 1 year, but side effects were real: rashes, sores, headaches, bloody noses, a left lung collapse, and liver-enzyme concerns. During a required medicine break, the cancer grew slightly, showing the drugs were helping control it. Later, a CT scan raised concern that the cancer was worsening. As of March 2023, Tiffany had started a new early-stage clinical trial medicine while continuing Tagrisso, with results still pending.