What happened, in summary

Amy’s first video starts with the diagnosis that changed her life in 2018. She had noticed a swollen lymph node for about 1 month and finally saw her primary care doctor. Bloodwork did not explain it, so she was sent for CT imaging of the lymph node. The scan also caught the top of the right lung and showed a suspicious spot. A CT-guided biopsy of the lymph node confirmed lung cancer, specifically squamous lung cancer. PET imaging then showed disease in other areas, making it Stage IV non-small cell squamous lung cancer. Amy was driving when her doctor called with the result and told her she had Stage IV lung cancer. She first saw a general oncologist who recommended Keytruda immunotherapy. Because she did not feel comfortable with that doctor’s bedside manner, she sought another oncologist at a different medical group. The second doctor confirmed the same basic diagnosis and explained that, at that point, they only knew it was Stage IV non-small cell squamous disease. MET amplification was not yet known. Amy then had to choose between Keytruda alone and a clinical trial. She reviewed the paperwork and side effects and chose Keytruda because it felt more established. As of July 2022, this segment captured the beginning of her care, before biomarker testing redirected treatment later in the series.