Stage IV HER2-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Samantha's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Samantha was an active hiker and outdoor adventurer when a mild cough and chest pressure after a trip to India led to a Stage IV lung cancer diagnosis. She had never thought lung cancer was likely because she was a nonsmoker and very health-conscious. At urgent care, a chest X-ray showed her left lung was full of fluid and collapsed. In the emergency room, a chest tube drained 3 liters of fluid. CT results appeared in her medical app before a doctor had spoken with her and showed multiple lesions in the liver and lungs. A liver biopsy and testing of the lung fluid increasingly pointed to cancer, and she was referred to oncology. Samantha then sought care at Huntsman, where her team repeated CT and PET imaging and waited for blood and tissue biomarker testing before starting treatment. The results showed a HER2 mutation. She learned there was no established first-line HER2-targeted therapy for her situation, although clinical trials were discussed, including a HER2 drug trial. Because she did not want to wait, she chose traditional chemotherapy plus immunotherapy and started within about 1 week. As of November 2024, Samantha said she was responding exceptionally well, with a 55% reduction across the board, few side effects, more energy, and the ability to hike, work, and feel like herself again.