From Misdiagnosis to Hope: A Cancer Survivor's Story
Leah Phillips was just 43 years old when she was diagnosed with stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with an EGFR Exon-19 mutation. Despite her initial shock and a frustrating series of misdiagnoses, Leah’s determination and advocacy led to proper treatment. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletion ( E19del ) mutations are a type of in-frame deletion that occur in the kinase domain of the EGFR receptor. They are a common activating mutation in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and are associated with increased sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). E19del mutations account for about 60% of EGFR mutations associated with lung cancer and are made up of a heterogeneous group of variants. Leah Phillips fought back against stage IV lung and told her story Defying the Odds: A Survivor's Story In her cancer vlog (YouTube link ), Leah recounts her journey from the first symptoms, through the relentless search for answers, to her current ...