What happened, in summary

Luna Okada was 54 when she was diagnosed in December 2012 with Stage IV lung adenocarcinoma. She had just returned from climbing Machu Picchu and had no cough or shortness of breath. Two days after the trip, severe abdominal pain brought her to the emergency room, where imaging showed a small lung tumor but extensive disease in the liver and many bones. At first, doctors did not know the cancer’s origin. A liver biopsy later supported lung cancer, and early biomarker testing was negative for EGFR and ALK, the main actionable markers being used at that time. Because no target was initially found, Luna started a 3-drug chemotherapy regimen that included carboplatin and Avastin. After 2 rounds, scans showed progression. Her oncologist then recommended testing for a newly described alteration that was rare in lung adenocarcinoma. After an initial lab discrepancy was resolved, testing confirmed a ROS1 rearrangement. Luna started crizotinib, an oral targeted therapy. The response was strong: tumors shrank, related marker testing normalized within weeks, and the medicine continued to control her cancer. As of March 2025, Luna had been stable for almost 12 years on crizotinib, living with metastatic lung cancer while managing side effects, scans, insurance tasks, and daily medication routines.