Stage IV ROS1 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Drea's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Drea was 26, a never-smoker, and living in Florida when a series of unexplained symptoms led to a Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer diagnosis. It began with a DVT that caused a swollen ankle. Over the next 4 to 5 months, she developed unexplained bruising, weight loss, worsening shortness of breath, and a rattling sound in her throat. Several visits to urgent care, the ER, and a specialist ended with reassurance that she was young, tired, or stressed. A CT scan eventually showed a lemon-sized mass in the right upper lobe of her lung. Further imaging showed cancer across both lungs, up and down the spine and pelvis, and in the brain. A bronchoscopy confirmed lung cancer. Her condition worsened after discharge, and she was readmitted for emergency blood transfusion and 1 round of platinum-based chemotherapy, with hospice raised if treatment failed. Biomarker testing changed the plan: the cancer was ROS1-positive, so chemotherapy was stopped and she started a TKI pill. She had about 3 years of strong control and quality of life on the first TKI before switching to a second TKI after new lesions appeared. As of November 2025, Drea was responding to targeted therapy and living actively with metastatic lung cancer.