Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Usha's Patient Story
This lung cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Subtype
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Biomarkers
- Tumor genetic profile available for navigation review, but specific results are not reported
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surveillance and navigation support
- Outcome
- Care Ongoing
Treatment course, step by step
- Diagnosed in July 2018 with Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer despite no smoking history
- Received chemotherapy and immunotherapy for nearly 2 years
- Treatment was then stopped and care shifted to routine scan monitoring
- Her daughter used GO2 LungMATCH to review the tumor genetic profile and look for clinical-trial options
- Usha did not pursue those trials.
What happened, in summary
Usha Jain, a retired UC Berkeley professor, was diagnosed in July 2018 with Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer despite having no smoking history. Her daughter, Amita Jain, was both a physician and caregiver, yet still found the lung cancer decision-making process complex and overwhelming. Usha’s treatment path included chemotherapy and immunotherapy for nearly 2 years. After that, she stopped treatment and moved into a period of routine scans and watchful monitoring. That pause in active treatment felt difficult for the family because doing “nothing” did not feel passive when the diagnosis was still Stage IV lung cancer. Amita contacted GO2’s LungMATCH navigation program and shared her mother’s tumor genetic profile. The navigators responded with information about possible clinical trials. Usha ultimately chose not to pursue those trials, but the information helped the family understand the options and feel more prepared for conversations with the care team. Specific mutation results and trial treatment were not reported as received care. Usha’s status is best captured as ongoing care after chemotherapy and immunotherapy, with routine scans and informed monitoring rather than a cancer-free outcome.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by GO2 Foundation. 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.