A researcher in a lab looking at a tablet.

Category: Patient & Care Partner Stories

  • Dana Querido at the ocean.

    Dana Querido

    We interviewed patient and ALK Positive volunteer Dana Querido about her journey with ALK+ lung cancer and her active involvement with the ALKtALK Healing Arts, Death Cafe, and more.

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  • Jeff and Ellen Strum.
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    Jeff Sturm

    During the Thanksgiving holiday, over a liter of pleural fluid was withdrawn via needle from my right chest space. I had just finished my third cycle of Carboplatin, Pemetrexed, and Lorlatinib after almost ten years of TKIs alone. The fluid first became evident on a PET scan and was classified as moderate effusion. I didn’t…

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  • Amanda Bialack-Stewart family photo with husband, teen son and twin baby boys.

    Amanda Bialack-Stewart

    Amanda has been actively involved in ALK Positive, Inc. through creating and leading the Young ALKies Group. We interviewed her in Los Angeles, California about having been diagnosed right after giving birth to twins at the age of 36, how she manages to balance family, work, fun, and self-care as a patient.

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  • Rich Gopen sitting at a desk.

    Rich Gopen

    Rich Gopen is an ALK patient and one of our match donors for Lung Cancer Awareness Month (LCAM). We interviewed Rich about his journey with ALK+ lung cancer, what motivates him, and his hopes for the future.

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  • Matt and Stephanie McCavin with children.

    Matt & Stephanie McAvin

    Matt and Stephanie Mcavin were recently featured in Genentech’s Biomarker Testing Campaign that was filmed during the ALK Summit in Nashville. We interviewed them about their story living with an ALK+ cancer diagnosis, juggling Matt’s diagnosis with caring for their family of three teenagers, and their advocacy in getting the word out on the importance…

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  • Patient Spotlight Marc Muskavitch Boston area, Massachusetts, USA

    Marc Muskavitch is an ALK patient, Board member for ALK Positive, Inc., and one of the leading members of the ALK Positive Medical Committee. We interviewed him on his journey with ALK+ lung cancer so far, his work with the Medical Committee, and what most excites him about the future of ALK+ cancer treatments and…

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  • Xavier Chen.

    PATIENT SPOTLIGHT: Xavier Chen, Paris, France

    1. Tell us a little about your background – personal and professional – and your journey with ALK+ lung cancer so far. I am a 61-year-old French citizen of Chinese origin, now living in Paris. Beforemy diagnosis, I was living in Chiangmai, a northern city of Thailand, in semi-retirement after a very fulfilling career successively…

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  • Jeff and Ellen Strum.
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    First two weeks on NVL-655 clinical trial: Field Research for the Clinical Trials Committee

    I started on the Phase II NVL-655 trial on March 1st, 2024, at UC Davis’s Sacramento campus, a seventy-five-mile ride from my house. I had pre-registered with Dr. Jonathan Riess’s trial coordinator in December, sending records from my oncologist electronically, and answering a lot of questions. They wanted a record of my initial cancer, and…

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  • Dr. Sydney Barned.

    Dr. Sydney Barned

    We interviewed Dr. Sydney Barned – a medical doctor, ALK patient, and very active lung cancer advocate. We learned about her personal journey with ALK+ lung cancer, how lung cancer has also affected other members of her family, and, more importantly, her tireless involvement in lung cancer advocacy, some of which has already resulted in…

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  • Summer Farmen Hall and father, Ray Hall at the 2023 ALK Positive Summit

    Patient Spotlight: Summer Hall Farmen, Hershey, Pennsylvania

    When we decided to interview Summer Hall Farmen about her personal journey– we didn’t know we were in for a treat. When we decided to interview Summer Hall Farmen about […]

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  • Pediatric ALK-positive cancer patient

    Pediatric ALK Spotlight Interview with mother and caregiver Ashley Sitorius, Hampstead, North Carolina

    We interviewed , mother and caregiver of 11-year-old Deliah, who was diagnosed with ALK-positive brain cancer when she was just 7. ALK can actually appear in many pediatric cancers as […]

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  • A couple stand together in an autumn park while their kids run around.

    Dan and Brittany Wilson

    Both Dan (the ALK patient) and Brittany (the spouse-caregiver) are actively involved in ALK Positive. We interviewed them both in their home city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, about their background, their life with ALK, and about how their volunteer activity has enriched their lives.

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