Stage 4 lung cancer that spread to brain still can fight into remission and go to work thanks to new targeted medicine from big pharma

[ginfreely]

 

[ginfreely]

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Since when stage 4 lung cancer is not death sentence if not for big pharma new cancer drug that fight off the cancer? Got people thank the big pharma for saving lives? All take for granted expect big pharma to put in millions to invest in new unproven drugs for free while people so smart invest in big tech with predictability and good returns.

 

[ginfreely]

Since when stage 4 lung cancer is not death sentence if not for big pharma new cancer drug that fight off the cancer? Got people thank the big pharma for saving lives? All take for granted expect big pharma to put in millions to invest in new unproven drugs for free while people so smart invest in big tech with predictability and good returns.

People don’t even want to invest in unpredictable big - or small - pharma stocks due to poor returns and yet expect big pharma to invest and come up with good cancer drugs for cheap or free.

 

[ginfreely]

Eight years ago, Ms Lee Hong Eng, then 38, battled a persistent cough for three months. Then she developed shortness of breath and an unexplained pain in her right shoulder.

An X-ray at a polyclinic revealed shadows in her lungs, and she was immediately transferred to the hospital, where she would spend almost three months under supervised medical care.

Further tests revealed she had fluid in her lungs that was pressing against her shoulder. This was her body’s reaction to the cancer cells, which had spread from her right lung, where the tumour originated, to her left lung, affecting her spine and lymph nodes.


“I couldn’t walk for more than 50m without feeling breathless,” recounts Ms Lee, now 46, who did not expect her initial symptoms to lead to a life-changing diagnosis.

According to the 2022 Singapore Cancer Registry, lung cancer has one of the lowest five-year survival rates in both males (21.9 per cent) and females (37.8 per cent). It is also often diagnosed only in the advanced stage.

Dr Teh Yi Lin, a consultant at the Division of Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Centre Singapore, explains that the cancer’s poor outcomes are largely due to its silent progression in its early stages1.

 

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She adds: “The growth of lung cancer may not cause any obvious swelling, discomfort or breathlessness at first, and symptoms become more apparent once it has started to grow and spread to other areas.”

With Ms Lee’s lung cancer at stage 4 – the most advanced stage – the mother of two knew she faced significant challenges ahead. Her daughters were only in primary school then.

She recalls: “After the initial shock and tears, I knew I had to fight the cancer. I could not let myself be taken away from my girls.”


Today, Ms Lee’s cancer is in remission – her journey shows how advances in treatment and comprehensive care are helping more lung cancer patients live fuller lives.

Navigating lung cancer treatment​

During Ms Lee’s hospital stay in 2016, doctors arranged for a biopsy, followed by genetic testing on a cancer-stricken lymph node to check for mutations causing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The test revealed that Ms Lee has the c-ros oncogene 1 rearranged NSCLC mutation, or ROS-1.

Dr Teh explains: “In general, NSCLC with gene mutations are more common in non-smokers and younger people.”

In Western and Asian populations, she adds, ROS-1 rearranged NSCLC is among the rarer mutations often found in females and non-smokers like Ms Lee. A similar rare mutation is the Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK).

“Depending on the type of lung cancer and stage of disease, patients may need to undergo surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy or a combination of treatments,” says Dr Teh.

“Advanced-stage lung cancer is incurable, and treatments are used to limit the spread of the disease, manage symptoms and prolong life.”

These treatments are also tailored to a patient’s medical fitness and response to the treatments.

In Ms Lee’s case, she began with a cycle of chemotherapy every three weeks for about 1.5 years. She was then switched to a ROS-1 targeted therapy treatment for another 18 months, which helped to shrink the cancer.

However, during a routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, doctors discovered that the cancer had spread to Ms Lee’s brain, resulting in 11 lesions. This is a common progression in lung cancer patients, Dr Teh notes.

As such, Ms Lee had to endure a brief but intensive course of gamma knife radiotherapy – her head fixed in place for hours during treatment.

She was then put on a new type of long-term targeted medicine, which has helped to control the cancer to date. She experiences side effects such as slurred speech, brain fog, hand numbness and constipation, which she manages through medication adjustments, diet and exercise.

While the journey has been challenging, Ms Lee has found strength in support groups, and has even gone further by helping cancer patients like herself.

 

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A support network for lung cancer patients, caregivers and survivors​

Led by Dr Teh since 2019, Lung Cancer Education and Advocacy for Patients (Leap)has helped over 600 lung cancer patients with comprehensive services – from coordinating medical appointments and treatments to financial assistance and emotional guidance.

“Each patient’s journey is unique,” says Dr Teh. “Through Leap, we’ve created a space where patients, families and survivors can connect and support one another while learning about the latest developments in lung cancer care.”

Initially a beneficiary, Ms Lee received valuable assistance through patient navigators who helped her manage hospital appointments and access various support services. Today, she serves as a Leap patient advocate, working to improve cancer care services for fellow patients.

“I want to share my journey and show them there’s hope,” says Ms Lee. “I understand that when patients are first diagnosed, it feels like a death sentence. But it’s not.”

As part of the Leap community, she also facilitates and participates in its monthly activities, which range from educational talks to exercise sessions, art therapy and coffee appreciation. These activities create informal opportunities for the lung cancer community to connect and seek emotional support.

For Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Leap held its recent Resilience in Bloom event on Nov 2, 2024. Around 60 patients and caregivers attended to share their experiences.

Despite her cancer journey, Ms Lee has remained optimistic. A homemaker when diagnosed, she took up a few part-time roles on top of her advocacy work after her condition stabilised. She has since completed a data engineering course and now has a full-time job as an operations manager at a tech start-up.

Family time is also precious, and she cherishes being able to watch her daughters, now aged 16 and 19, blossom into young adults.

 

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Despite her cancer journey, Ms Lee has remained optimistic. A homemaker when diagnosed, she took up a few part-time roles on top of her advocacy work after her condition stabilised. She has since completed a data engineering course and now has a full-time job as an operations manager at a tech start-up.

Family time is also precious, and she cherishes being able to watch her daughters, now aged 16 and 19, blossom into young adults.

Stage 4 lung cancer can fight until well enough to go to full time work and have precious 8 extra years and counting with her children all thanks to big or small pharma that developed the new cancer drugs right? If no drugs can fight meh?

 

[Franjipani]

ginfreely has lung cancer?

 

[ginfreely]

Since when stage 4 lung cancer is not death sentence if not for big pharma new cancer drug that fight off the cancer? Got people thank the big pharma for saving lives? All take for granted expect big pharma to put in millions to invest in new unproven drugs for free while people so smart invest in big tech with predictability and good returns.

People don’t even want to invest in unpredictable big - or small - pharma stocks due to poor returns and yet expect big pharma to invest and come up with good cancer drugs for cheap or free.

Stage 4 lung cancer can fight until well enough to go to full time work and have precious 8 extra years and counting with her children all thanks to big or small pharma that developed the new cancer drugs right? If no drugs can fight meh?

Big or small pharma work is like my clear shit jobs indeed. Nobody want to do and if you do it clear all the shit get taken for granted. And anything wrong get beaten up like a piece of shit while the real shit that did nothing good enjoy lazy idle good life not just doing nothing good but do evil with their dog pride.

 

[ginfreely]

ginfreely has lung cancer?

So fast 说曹操曹操就到 one piece of evil shit Cantonese dog son of prostitute SELF ADMITTED SON OF DIRTY SLUT persecuting me as what they are Pui!

 

[WangChuk]

Hope she can living happily and be blessed to recover.

 

[ginfreely]

Hope she can living happily and be blessed to recover.

The thing about these cancer medicines is they always worked for a time period only and then lose effectiveness so there need to another medicine to takeover when that happens and of course there must be enough funds too to last long long.