Vision problem leads to man’s stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis, new drug extends survival

Nitsche, an ex-triathlete who has done multiple Ironman races, hadn’t experienced any other symptoms other than the eye issues.“I had a little bit of back pain here and there, but lung cancer definitely wasn’t on my radar.”(Dave Nitsche)

His first treatment was a targeted therapy called afatinib, which lasted about three months.When doctors found that the cancer had spread to Nitsche’s brain, he began taking another medication called Tagrisso (osimertinib), which crosses the blood-brain barrier.

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After six years, when those drugs stopped working, Nitsche started taking Rybrevant (amivantamab), a chemo-free drug that he receives via IV infusion every three weeks in a supervisedmedical setting.After a year on the drug, which is developed by Johnson &Johnson, his scans are looking “very, very good,” he said.

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“There are days that you feel strong and there are days that you’re a little weaker, but you just adjust accordingly.”

“Science is catching up to me perfectly with all these drugs that I’m on,” Nitsche said.“Now, we’ll just wait for the next thing to come along, and we’ll jump onto that.But for now, the Rybrevant is working perfectly.”

Nitsche has experienced a few side effects, but said for the most part, the drug he is taking is “very tolerable.”(Dave Nitsche)

Nitsche has experienced a few side effects, primarilyskin irritationand fingernail infections, but said for the most part, the drug is “very tolerable.”

Compared to the full-dose chemo and otherlung cancer treatments, Farooqui agreed that Rybrevant is “very manageable.”

Embracing his role as an advocate, Nitsche now speaks openly about his experience and what others should know.(Dave Nitsche)

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“If somebody is having too many side effects, or if it is feeling too aggressive, we can dodose reductions,” Farooqui noted.“In my experience, we’ve had patients do really well on it, and we’ve been able to manage their side effects without any major concerns.”

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Rybrevant has now been approved to treat certain types of non-small cell lung cancer in the U.S.and Canada, and Nitsche said a few of his friends are also taking the drug.

“Doctors gave me a year to two years – they told me to get my affairs in order.And it’s been seven years now,” he said.“I’ll take it.”

“For almost any type of cancer, a diagnosis is not a death sentence.”

Nitsche is now preparing for a 600-mile biking expedition in June to raise awareness for lung cancer.He credits hisendurance trainingand high fitness level with helping to extend his survival. 

“There are days that you feel strong and there are days that you’re a little weaker, but you just adjust accordingly,” he said.

Rybrevant has now been approved to treat certain types of non-small cell lung cancer in the U.S.and Canada.(iStock)

Embracing his role as an advocate, Nitsche now speaks openly about his experience and what others should know.

“If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer – but at this point, for almost any type of cancer, a diagnosis is not a death sentence,” he said.“They’re doingso much researchon it, especially with lung cancer… I’ve known people who have lasted 12 to 18 years, so for me, seven years is great.So I’ll just keep going.”

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Farooqui echoed the importance of patients “advocating for themselves and getting the most up-to-date therapy there is.”

Story tips can be sent to melissa.com.