160: Marcel D’Allende survived Stage 4 Lung Cancer | carboplatin | pemetrexed | durvalumab

1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 160: Marcel D’Allende survived Stage 4 Lung Cancer | carboplatin | pemetrexed | durvalumab | immunotherapy Marcel D'Allende was in outstanding health, an avid hiker in the mountains overlooking her hometown of Cape Town, South Africa.&nbsp; However, in October 2021, she began to experience shortness of breath and extreme fatigue.&nbsp; That led to a diagnosis of Stage IV non-small cell adenocarcinoma, or lung cancer.&nbsp; Determined not to let cancer define her, she underwent a treatment regimen of radiotherapy, then chemotherapy with carboplatin and pemetrexed, and immunotherapy with durvalumab.&nbsp; In September 2022, a PET scan revealed Marcel was cancer-free.&nbsp; It took a little while for her to get back up to speed, but has returned to an active lifestyle, and every weekend, you can find her hiking the mountains. &nbsp; Marcel thought she was in terrific health, but in the fall of 2021, suddenly she found herself out of breath on a recurring basis.&nbsp; Her difficulty with breathing became so acute that shortly after beginning a weekend hike with friends, she had no choice but to turn around and return to the base of the mountain.&nbsp; Things worsened when she had frequent coughing spells. &nbsp; She was seen by her general practitioner, who recommended she see a pulmonologist.&nbsp; The pulmonologist called for a CT scan, which revealed a tumor on a lung, and a diagnosis of Stage IV lung cancer in January 2022.&nbsp; &nbsp; Marcel, who during her adult life smoked cigarettes off and on, immediately thought of her father, who passed away from lung cancer in 2000.&nbsp; She was afraid she would suffer the same fate.&nbsp; However, her doctor said that her father’s fate didn’t have to be hers because of major advances in medicines and technologies in the past twenty years.&nbsp; &nbsp; She was determined to not let her life be defined by cancer, saying at all times, one on a cancer journey must have hope.&nbsp; At the same time, she says one can be hopeful without being delusional.&nbsp; &nbsp; Her diagnosis was difficult enough, but she soon felt the sting of the stigma that often accompanies a lung cancer diagnosis.&nbsp; When informing friends about her diagnosis, many of them told her should not have smoked. Marcel’s treatment begins with six weeks of radiotherapy treatment, which she thought wasn’t so difficult. &nbsp; Next was six cycles of chemotherapy, specifically carboplatin and pemetrexed.&nbsp; The worst side effects she experienced were nausea and fatigue. &nbsp; Then, Marcel’s oncologist introduced her to a newly-approved form of immunotherapy called durvalumab.&nbsp; It is usually prescribed for a duration of twelve months, but she was taken off the immunotherapy at the nine-month mark because spots were detected on her lung.&nbsp; The spots cleared in March. &nbsp; In September, Marcel D’Allende underwent a PET scan that showed she was cancer-free, which she has been to this day. &nbsp; She had to start slowly, but Marcel’s health is back to normal, and she has returned to her weekend home, hiking trails outside Cape Town. &nbsp; Additional Resources: &nbsp; Support Group: &nbsp; Cancer Association of South Africa&nbsp; https://www.cansa.org.za &nbsp; Marcel’s Written Account of her Cancer Journey: &nbsp; https://cansa.org.za/breaking-the-silence-around-lung-cancer/ &nbsp; &nbsp; Cancer Interviews http://cancerinterviews.com <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/39364070/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/39364070