Stage IV MET Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Amy's Patient Story
This lung cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Subtype
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- Biomarkers
- MET amplification
- Sex
- Female
- Spread to
- Bone/femur; lymph nodes; shoulder; adrenal glands; ovaries; ribs; fingers; hips; foot
- Treatment
- immunotherapy, bone modifying agent, targeted therapy and supportive care
- Outcome
- Responding Well
Treatment course, step by step
- Keytruda/pembrolizumab infusion was given every month, plus Xgeva shot after each infusion for bone metastases
- Keytruda stopped after 3-month PET scan showed progression to multiple sites
- Blood biomarker testing found MET amplification after a 6-8 week wait
- Started Crizotinib/Xalkori at 500 mg as 1 pill morning and 1 pill evening
- Dose was reduced to 1 pill daily because of severe GI side effects
- Clinical response was rapid, within about 2 weeks.
What happened, in summary
Amy’s second video explains how biomarker testing changed the direction of her Stage IV squamous cell lung cancer care. Her first treatment was Keytruda, also called pembrolizumab, given as a monthly infusion. After each infusion, she received Xgeva to strengthen her bones because cancer had spread to the bones, including the femur. The bone pain was severe enough that she needed a cane, then a walker, and eventually a wheelchair. Keytruda caused difficult side effects, including nausea, poor appetite, rashes, severe fatigue, and gastrointestinal problems. After 3 months, PET imaging showed the cancer had progressed widely: beyond lymph nodes, it was in her shoulder, adrenal glands, ovaries, ribs, fingers, hips, femurs, and one foot. Keytruda was stopped. Around her last infusion, her doctor sent blood for biomarker testing. After a 6- to 8-week wait, Amy learned she had MET amplification, unusual in squamous lung cancer but important because it opened a targeted-treatment option. She started Crizotinib, also called Xalkori, at 500 mg as 1 pill in the morning and 1 pill in the evening. Severe GI side effects led her doctor to cut the dose to 1 pill daily. Within about 2 weeks, her pain and lumps improved dramatically, and she felt like herself again.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by The Patient Story. Read the original in full
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team.