A mother who received a terminal lung cancer diagnosis six years ago and was given 12 months to live is now declared cancer-free by her doctors. Leah Phillips, a non-smoker who led a healthy lifestyle, initially sought medical help for a persistent cough and faced multiple misdiagnoses before being correctly identified with stage four lung cancer.
Despite being told her cancer was incurable in 2020, Leah, from Louisville, Kentucky, has defied the odds and is now cancer-free, much to her own surprise. Doctors credit her remarkable recovery to a combination of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and a lobectomy to remove the primary tumor in her lung lobe.
Reflecting on the grim prognosis she initially received, Leah recalled the doctor’s words predicting her imminent demise and advising her to prepare for the worst. Through genetic testing, it was discovered that a mutation in her EGFR gene fueled the cancer’s growth, even though she never smoked.
Currently, Leah undergoes regular scans and continues targeted therapy to manage her condition, acknowledging that the treatment may not be a permanent solution. Despite her ongoing battle, she aims to raise awareness about lung cancer in non-smokers, especially those under 50, highlighting the possibility of the disease in this demographic.