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jamesanthony
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Hello,
I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer on September 5, 2024, at 36 years old. I initially had a persistent cough and was told it was pneumonia after an X-ray. I also had a right-side pleural effusion, which was partially drained in the hospital, and I was given a Pleurex for home drainage. I started on Eliquis to prevent blood clots and Augtyro targeted therapy.
Augtyro worked well for eight months, but now I'm undergoing chemotherapy and have completed four out of six sessions. My doctor wants me to continue with maintenance chemotherapy after the sixth round. I plan to start a new targeted therapy, zidesamtinib, in the new year, which is recommended for patients who have previously tried a different targeted therapy.
Has anyone else experienced their targeted therapy stopping and what did you switch to? I could have transitioned to another targeted therapy, but my doctor indicated it was due to off-target resistance based on my CT scan.
I've read stories from others who have had success with ROS1 targeted therapy for years without it stopping.
I’m trying to stay hopeful about starting a new targeted therapy in the new year, but I’m also concerned that it might stop working again.
Last edited by survival race two days ago
Discussion Topic
Reply # - October 30, 2025, 06:35 PM
ROS 1
Hi James Anthony, I'm so sorry you are going through this and so very young. It' s true that some people benefit for years with chemo and targeted therapies. With the onslaught of new discoveries in targeted treatments it's very possible that you will stairstep through new drugs until ROS 1 is a chronic disease to be treated maintained. In today's fast moving TKI advancements there are clinical trials available in most cases.
Your plan aligns with the standard treatment approach. The only question is whether to stop maintenance chemo before progression. The thing about that is, it’s not guaranteed that the chemo will work the same way after being interrupted for another drug. Of course, it’s perfectly reasonable to take a break from chemo if it’s causing unmanageable side effects.
It’s important to note that a single-agent chemo (like Alimta) can be very beneficial with minimal side effects for a long time. There are also case reports showing that Alimta has worked again after progression and a break with another drug. These are case reports rather than clinical trials, but your oncologist likely has experiential knowledge of this.
All of that to say—most oncologists prefer to continue a treatment until progression.
I hope you do very well for a very long time. Please let us know of any questions you have.
Best of luck,
Janine
I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.