Overcoming Multiple NSCLC Recurrences with Personalized Medicine

Anonymous was diagnosed in the early 2010s with stage IV NSCLC. Over the years, her cancer has come back seven times in various locations (each a “recurrence” or progression), which could have been dire.

However, at each recurrence her oncology team performed biomarker testing on the latest tumor sample and found a new therapeutic target. By receiving next-line treatments – including newer targeted drugs and immunotherapies as they emerged – she managed to overcome every setback. In a 2021 Reddit post, this survivor reported that she had been living with metastatic lung cancer for 9.5 years and was “still thriving,” with a good quality of life​.

She acknowledged the emotional ups and downs, but emphasized that modern personalized medicine gave her real hope. Her message to a newly diagnosed patients was clear: “There is much more hope. I am here 9½ years later… So, with the newer treatments based on each person’s markers, there is much more hope.”​