Stereotactic Radiation Treatment

Susan Parker a nursing professional, runner and passionate equestrian was diagnosed with Stage IIIB Adenocarcinoma of the lung in 2011. Immediately after her diagnosis, she began the 31-day regimen of daily radiation treatments combined with chemotherapy. “I went to those initial appointments with the oncologists not at all sure that I wanted to pursue treatment,” said Susan. “But Dr. McGarry’s big smile and his very positive attitude go a long way to encourage a patient who has been given this kind of diagnosis. He took a great deal of time to walk me through the plan for radiation and told me he believed it would be a monumental mistake to not treat my cancer”.

Her cough was resolved fairly quickly, and her post-treatment evaluations in November 2011 and January 2012 showed the affected lymph nodes had shrunk. Almost a year after her initial diagnosis, she had regained lost weight and had started running and riding again. Then, in July 2012, a scan revealed the original cancer remained stable, but there were new areas of concern in the lining of the left lung. Susan needed more chemotherapy and targeted radiation treatments. “Dr. Arnold explained that further chemotherapy may impact my quality of life, but I believed that I needed to keep pushing, “Parker said. “Dr. McGarry assured me that as long as there was more he could do for me, he would do it.”

The next phase of her treatment included a different type of chemotherapy, followed by targeted radiation treatments aimed at the new cancer. The second round of chemotherapy lasted three months and proved to be the harshest. The treatment resulted in damage to peripheral nerves in her hand and feet that caused numbness, weakness and discomfort.

In February 2013, Parker received three targeted high-dose radiation treatments, following the three-month chemotherapy regimen. Stereotactic radiation therapy uses a specialized type of focused external beam radiation to focused external beam radiation to target a well-defined tumor. Aided by detailed imaging, this therapy delivers the radiation dose with extreme accuracy. “Recurrence is a big issue with Stage III lung cancer because of all the surrounding tissue that limits the initial radiation dosage. And, very often the cancers become resistant to the chemotherapy and the radiation, so we have to shift gears.” “When there are well-defined tumor sites that we can pinpoint and attack aggressively, stereotactic radiation is an excellent treatment option,” Dr. McGarry commented.

In March 2013, a scan showed little change in the cancer but by June, Susan was coughing and the lymph nodes were enlarging again. Susan had a very specific gene mutation that occurs in only 4 percent of adenocarcinoma cases, and adenocarcinomas account for only 30-40 percent of all non-small cell cancers. “She had a very rare mutation indeed,” said Dr. Arnold. A molecular testing reveal that her cancer gene mutation could be treated by Crizotinib, a targeted agent that has provided good results in treating patients with cancer, given them a longer survival rate and a much better quality of life.

This past January, a scan indicated everything remained stable except a small change in one lymph node. If there is more growth on her next scan, Dr. McGarry can again use the stereotactic radiation to target the cancer in that spot. Susan Parker believes cancer has been a great teacher. It has taught her life is short, precious and to be appreciated; that we exist to help one another along the way; and to never give up hope. “I am not cured,” she said. “And it is a miracle really, but I am living, functioning and looking forward to the future. I am riding and working as a nurse again and most importantly, I remain hopeful.”