In November 2021, our 22 yr. old son, Kyle, received a devastating diagnosis of Stage 4 non-smoking, non-small cell, lung cancer. A genomic test revealed that he has a gene mutation called RET, which causes cancer cells to grow at a very fast pace.
Fortunately, there was a drug FDA approved in 2020 to treat this mutation. Kyle started this drug in November and had great results with scans showing significant improvement in just 6 months. Truly, a miracle.
Unfortunately, after 6 months he had some progression and received a few rounds of radiation. A few pesky mets weren't behaving and he began chemo Oct '22 and receives it every three weeks. Yep, that's 17 rounds in a year. :( The good news is the med/chemo mix is working. Cancer is stable or regressing in areas. The bad news is the side effects are miserable. This is our reality until new treatment is found. We need a Plan C (or is this D??) and research is they key to new treatment.
We have real hope with new scientific advancements progressing every day. There are several optimistic clinical trials in the works. I have faith each one will be better and make NSCLC a manageable, chronic disease.
The challenge for Kyle’s cancer is…
- Research on lung cancer, despite being the #1 cancer killer (more deadly than colon, breast & prostate cancers combined), is massively underfunded. This is thought to be due to the stigma associated w/ smoking. The majority of RET+ lung cancer is found in people who have never smoked.
- RET-driven lung cancer is ~2% of all lung cancer, so of the reduced amount of funding lung cancer receives, most is allocated to the more common subtypes.
- RET is still the new kid on the block, and therefore, research needs to catch up to other well-known cancer types.
For these reasons, those living with RET+ lung cancer need to take matters into their own hands. This fundraiser will do just that! 100% of your donation goes directly to fund research specifically for RET+ lung cancer. This research will help find new treatments so that Kyle, and many others, can continue to live their lives for many, many more years to come.
Thanks for your support. Brian and Mary Kay Sheahan
