Heather Quintana Suchan, a mom residing with stage 4 lung most cancers, is utilizing her platform to encourage different sufferers to pursue biomarker testing and genomic profiling early within the diagnostic course of, saying remedy selections ought to be personalised, not one measurement suits all.
She defined that even inside her exon 20 mutation, there are variations, making genetic testing important to establish the correct remedy. After testing at Metropolis of Hope, she started focused remedy with Rybrevant (amivantamab-vmjw), which she stated is working properly with minimal negative effects. She now urges sufferers to ask questions, perceive their studies and keep in mind they’ll nonetheless reside full, lively lives throughout remedy.
Transcript
How are you utilizing your platform to coach different sufferers concerning the necessity of biomarker testing and genomic profiling early within the diagnostic course of?
I feel that it’s so necessary to know your biomarkers and do the genetic testing. This most cancers is just not one measurement suits all, and even inside exon 20, which is the mutation that I’ve, there are variations inside exon 20. Till you try this analysis, you want a suggestion primarily based on that to know what’s going to be one of the best plan of action for you.
So in my case, I now know that my physique responds very properly to Rybrevant. It’s working for me, and my negative effects are fairly minimal on that remedy. However for another person, they might have slightly little bit of a special story. The purpose is, you possibly can’t know that except you do the testing. It’s completely an important factor.
Actually, on that first day after I went to Metropolis of Hope, it felt like they unlocked the magic by going by means of my genetic report back to make a suggestion that was particular to me. So yeah, I do assume it’s essential. Everyone’s a person.
And I do agree {that a} optimistic perspective helps the whole lot. You simply need to preserve going. It is going to be a journey, and it might curve slightly bit every now and then. However the level is that you would be able to reside a really wholesome and full life. I plan to reside to be an outdated woman, so let’s preserve going.
Transcript has been edited for readability and conciseness.
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