Redefining Survival In Lung Cancer: Meet Alexandra

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in Australia, and lung cancer in never smokers is still the seventh leading cause of death. Lung cancer kills more women every year than breast, ovarian and uterine cancers combined even though many seem to think that the only cancer women ever get is breast cancer! More young women are being diagnosed every year who have never smoked – around 1/3 of new diagnoses fit this category for women.Thankfully this statistic is declining.Higher awareness, earlier screening and targeted treatments have played a role in better outcomes for lung cancer patients, as has the identification of driver mutations that can cause some lung cancers.Alexandra’s story is inspiring. Diagnosed with lung cancer 8 years ago, her treatments have varied due to the discovery of a rare mutation called ALK and she is now involved in an innovative clinical trial using a targeted agent for patients with the ALK gene rearrangements. In this Podcast, Mark Scott talks with Alexandra about her challenges in diagnosis, searching for the best treatments available, living in a regional area and what it’s like to be involved in lung cancer clinical trials. Alexandra is redefining survival rates for those with lung cancer and bringing new hope for patients all around the world.

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