Tag Archive for: swollen lymph nodes

Empowered by Biomarker Testing: Amber’s Journey with Stage IV NSCLC

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Empowered by Biomarker Testing: Amber’s Journey with Stage IV NSCLC from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Amber, a 56-year-old living with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), shares her journey of empowerment through biomarker testing and targeted therapy. From recognizing symptoms and proactive healthcare to managing her condition with the latest treatments, Amber’s story emphasizes the importance of personalized care and staying informed. Her advocacy for biomarker testing and clinical trials aims to inspire others facing similar challenges to take an activated approach in their lung cancer care.

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[ACT]IVATED NSCLC Biomarkers Toolkit Checklist

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Transcript:

Embracing an activated approach to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) care is indispensable for every patient. My name is Amber, I am 56 years old and living with non-small cell lung cancer. Recognizing the importance of proactive healthcare and being in good physical condition, I sought medical attention upon experiencing troubling symptoms. 

I was 54 when I started experiencing symptoms of coughing, wheezing, and decreased stamina. I worked as a nurse practitioner and knew lung cancer can happen to anyone with lungs. After getting a CT scan, they discovered a spot on my lung and swollen lymph nodes in my chest. A PET scan and brain scan came next to help determine my diagnosis.

I was shocked to learn I had stage IV lung cancer that spread. My oncologist knew about the latest in biomarker testing and immediately scheduled it, which determined I was EGFR-positive. Even though that sounded frightening, I learned there was targeted therapy that worked well for EGFR-positive patients.  

I’ve been on this EGFR blocker since my diagnosis. My tumor is no longer visible, and my lesions have decreased considerably. I’m monitored regularly and stay active hiking and spending time with my family. I’m so thankful biomarker testing enabled my care team to prescribe targeted therapy. It’s a huge advancement in lung cancer care. And if you’re a former smoker and are unsure when to start lung cancer screening, ask your doctor. Even if you smoked many years ago, you should continue to receive lung scans. 

I hope that sharing my story will help other patients understand the importance of biomarker testing. 

Here are my activation tips:

  1. Ask your care team questions to learn about biomarker testing, treatment options, and what to expect during and after treatment.
  2. Don’t allow stigmas to keep you from getting the best personalized lung cancer care.
  3. Ask if a clinical trial may be a potential treatment option for your type of lung cancer.

Remember, no matter who you are and what kind of health history you have, being proactive is everything. Stay activated by being informed, empowered, and engaged in your lung cancer care.

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What Is Follicular Lymphoma? What Are the Symptoms?

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What Is Follicular Lymphoma? What Are the Symptoms? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Lymphoma expert Dr. Matthew Matasar defines follicular lymphoma and provides an overview of common disease symptoms.

Dr. Matthew Matasar is a lymphoma expert at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Chief of Medical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen. To learn more about Dr. Matasar, visit here.

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Transcript:

Katherine Banwell:

What is follicular lymphoma? 

Dr. Matasar:

Good question. So, follicular lymphoma, the first thing to say is that it’s a type of lymphoma. And lymphomas are cancers of lymphocytes, of immune cells. So, these illnesses are all cancers that come from and are of the immune system. There’s a tremendous variety of lymphomas, more than 100 different types, and these range from the slowest-growing to the fastest-growing things, and everything in between. But follicular lymphoma is one of the more common of these 100 plus diseases.  

It’s actually the second most common in America, and the most common of what we call the indolent, or naturally slow-growing, B-cell lymphomas. It’s called follicular lymphoma, because the stage of lymphocyte growing up at which we think the cells went wrong was when they normally live inside of these little nests, or follicles, inside of lymph nodes. People get confused. They’re like follicular, is that like hair follicles? It’s not that I have that many left. But no, it’s really about the lymph node follicles. And that’s sort of the stage at which we think that the cells went wrong.  

Katherine Banwell:

What are the symptoms of follicular lymphoma?  

Dr. Matasar:

So, it’s a very variable illness. Sometimes, this is a disease that presents with symptoms. People have swollen lymph nodes, swollen glands that they feel or that their doctors felt, or they have lymph nodes or other growths in the body that are causing pain or discomfort. More typically, however, this will be found accidentally doing testing for other purposes.  

You have a kidney stone, and your doctors do a CAT scan to look at the kidney stone. And they say, “Oh, what are those lymph nodes swollen about? What’s that about? We should probably figure out what’s going on there.” And then, there’s the third group which sort of present with what we all vague or constitutional symptoms, which is stuff like progressive fatigue, or maybe even fevers, or night sweats. But fatigue is a very common symptom that sometimes don’t even realize was there until sort of hindsight when they’re feeling better. And they’re like, “Wow, I didn’t know I could feel this good. I guess I’ve been tired for these last years. And I feel so much better. Thanks, doc.”