This is a heartening article but for some of us it will invoke feelings of wistfulness and melancholy. My own illness is an osteosarcoma that can't be treated by radiation or chemotherapy and will kill me, probably within a year. Every time I go online and read about recent research I learn about wondrous treatments that are "just around the corner," but that corner, alas, is at the end of a long road and is a corner that I won't have time to reach.
completeandtotalloser.blogspot.com
26
I would like to add a note of caution to this wonderful story.
Some commenters ask for funding a "Manhattan Project", a "Moonshot".
Since President Nixon announced the War on Cancer this country has spent billions of dollars on cancer research. The National Cancer Institute has persistently been the best funded national institute of health, and billions more have been spent on initiatives such as the Human Genome Project with the prime goal of finding cures for cancer.
This war has not been won despite a decline in cancer deaths. The decline is attributable mainly to a decline in death from lung cancer, because fewer people smoke. We may owe this success to former Surgeon General Everett Koop's relentless preventive health campaign. As to a cure for cancer, experts speak of disease management at best.
When the US government decided to invest in the Manhattan Project, the paths to success were clear. The same applies to Wernher von Braun's Moonshot. By contrast, even under the best working hypotheses, biomedical discovery remains haphazard and paths of success are strewn with setbacks. Addressing diseases such as cancer demand multi-pronged approaches and pluralistic funding through a democratic bottom-up selection process.
Alas the NCI handpicks research applications for funding behind closed doors superseding the recommendations of expert panels. More money is not going to buy solutions.
8
As I am one of the unfortunate many who have Stage 4 lung cancer, this story provides me with hope for generations to come. Because of my age I won’t benefit but it has made me determined to enjoy each day and yes, get on a plane for a vacation in Florida. Not quite mountain climbing but at 85 good enough! Please don’t begrudge good news.
28
Good for you! Keep up the positivity! It works.
9
More than a half million, (500,000+) children die each year from easily and inexpensively treatable, Diarrheal Disease and NYT is lionizing a cancer treatment that allows a terminally ill person to go mountain climbing? Really?
8
And this is news because...? Who cares about 1 person with lung cancer? There are 100s of thousands of children dying of starvation. 20,000 or more just in Argentina this year. Get a grip, world, nytimes, on the things that matter most.
4
Let me just add, if you have any elevated risk of lung cancer due to heredity or history of smoking, etc, talk to your doctor about getting a CT scan. Lung Cancer is deadly because it is asymptomatic until it has grown to an advanced stage. I was feeling great, cycling 35 miles a day Just to keep my weight down when my CT scan disclosed a 2 cm tumor in my right lung. That was still stage one. The tumor was surgically removed and I have been cancer free for 2 years. Lung cancer remains deadly. Lung cancer kills more women than does breast cancer. Lung cancer kills more people than breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer combined. Do not wait to be lucky-be smart and talk to your doctor. Now.
28
I would really like to know if he ever had radiation or chemo therapy. (Or antibiotics)
I doubt it. The biggest benefit might've been having stayed away from those therapies. Do we know much about symbiotic microbes living in the lungs? Might their interrelated populations obtain a new, better balance in the high altitude.
1
Totally agree on that advice for can er patients, after seeing loved ones suffer and die because of unnecessary radiation and chemo!
An inspirational beautiful story!!
to correct?: " that at 'lower' altitude even healthy younger climbers tended to have a greater likelihood of "
Congrats to Andy. I am glad that his therapies helped with such wonderful outcome. Perhaps, minimally invasive laser micro-surgery can be used to excise the remaining lesions in the lung.
Mutations of genes encoding epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) affect roughly 13 percent of all lung cancer patients. The mutations lead to overactive receptors stimulating cell division. Drugs inhibiting receptor activity, therefore, lend themselves to subdue tumor growth.
As many commenters point out, treatment with EGFR inhibitors is not gene therapy. It is one of the older targeted drug therapies. EGFR inhibitors have been used clinically for 15 years. Therapies with third-generation EGFR inhibitors are slated to cost $12,750.- a month. By contrast, the first gene therapy that the FDA approved last month - it treats a rare type of inherited blindness - will cost $850,000.-, worth five-and-a-half years of targeted therapy with EGFR inhibitors.
Mislabeling therapies as the author accomplished in this article is not only scientifically false, marring an otherwise wonderful story, but also may convey wrong ideas about outcome and cost. “Precision medicine” may come in plenty different flavors with plenty different prognoses and price tags.
1
Is Tarceva considered an EGFR inhibitor?
Yes.
source: http://www.tarceva.com/patient/how-tarceva-works-for-non-small-cell-lung...
1
Since you asked directly, you may also consider a class of immune therapeutics called check-point inhibitors. Keytruda has been successful in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer at comparable cost.
source: https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm465444.htm
1
This is wonderful news for Andy and his family, and others who can benefit from new cancer treatments. But, the fact of the matter is that this country's response to the cancer epidemic falls ridiculously short! We should launch an all out war on cancer---that which is most likely to kill us-- and we are not doing so. So while many are benefiting from new therapies, far more are being diagnosed and dying each year leaving behind a trail of suffering and sorrow unrivaled by all of the wars and natural disasters known to humankind. I can not for the life of me figure out why there has not been/ is not a massive national initiative focused on cancer research and cures?
3
Where are the amazing gene therapies and results for the cancers of women, like breast and uterine cancer? Right now a young 35 year old friend of mine is going through the most excruciating chemo, worse chemo, surgery and then radiation for breast cancer. She has to give up her breasts and any chance of having children. Where are the breakthroughs for her?
14
Actually, I think breast cancer gets more funding for cures than lung cancer does.
13
Sorry about your friend, but this is not a political men vs women isn’t the world so sexist thing. Breast cancer is better understood then any other cancer and receives vastly more research funding then any other cancer including lung cancer. I’m an oncologist and this published story is the very rare case of a patient with stage IV lung cancer who is doing well, most with such a diagnosis will unfortunately not not survive very long.
7
One thing I learned from undergoing treatment for breast cancer is that cancers are very individual, as well as wily, complex and tenacious. Development of these therapies is far from simple, but I think you can be sure that some of the best minds ( and hearts ) on the planet are on the case. I hope your friend does well.
9
This is inspiring to anyone who has lung issues.
Not everyone gets to go to the Himalayas. And for some of us, it doesn't really matter.
For several years, c 1907 plus or minus, in some mildly southern, mildly mid-western state, my father and one or two others of his young colleagues contrived to put an outhouse on a wagon chassis and pull it up a hill so they could set it free to sail "south". It was Halloween, New Years, and/or April Fools; OR perhaps each and all of them. This was a fleeting and utterly gleeful moment. It was about joy after a successful uphill climb.
I do believe that some part of Andy's achievement came from joy. The best next step would be for Andy to lead his physicians and med researchers on some major hilltop ventures.
Beyond that, it is possible for many people to find grades, inclines, steps to climb in the days, months, and years that the Himalayas are not convenient.
1
Congratulations to Andy. His accomplishment is truly incredible and should be celebrated. I expect it will be an inspiration to others, potentially with a similar condition and a similar initial prognosis. Thus, in steps the major problem with this article--it is not accurate regarding the medicine that was used in the treatment, and would be misleading to other patients. EGF816 is not gene therapy. It is a small molecule therapy that operates by the same paradigm as the majority of all other drugs. The point that this article could highlight is that there is diagnostic test which can help select which patients would benefit from with EGF816. In Andy's case it was quite accurate. Other treatments such as CAR T-cell therapy truly are gene therapy and are also used to treat cancer, but are used for different forms of cancer. We will likely see many new gene therapies in the next few years, and hopefully better editing at the NYT will help the public properly keep track of these new options.
13
I don’t think this is a gene therapy. It sounds like a drug that targets a genetic mutation.
5
Agreed. This sounds like a targeted therapy approach, not a gene therapy approach. Happy story for Mr. Lindsay but urge would urge greater accuracy in scientific/medical reporting.
5
Bravo, Andy!
Wishing you another climb next year, and many years thereafter.
3
Mr. Lindsay - how spectacular and wonderful for you to not only to climb this mountain, but to have such success with your health issues.
To be honest, I am ashamed and embarrassed - my health is okay and yet I struggle with a few flights of stairs. You are a cancer patient/survivor yet climb a mountain. Thanks for setting an inspiring example on so many levels!
Continues success with your health and other climbing endeavors!
12
My major problem with this particular report and much of the reporting on new cancer therapies, is that they focus on individuals with exceptionally good results. There have always been patients with "miracle" responses to chemotherapy in the setting of stage IV cancers. Lets say this is in the 1%-5% range. This of course means that 95% of those would have a much less exceptional outcome. "Targeted therapies" such as that described in this particular article have been in use for at least the past decade. While there are some success stories much of the results have been disappointing. I am less interested in the story of this particular mountain climber and the free marketing being given to MGH, but on lets say a group of 100-300 other patients receiving the same drug. If 50%-60% are getting similar responses at 1 year out, that would be a meaningful story to write. Unfortunately this is rarely the case in these studies and this truth is often neglected in replace of feel good stories such as that presented in this particular article
25
I recommend the book – The Emperor Of All Maladies, A Biography Of Cancer. The truth is we are turning many many cancers from certain killers in to chronic manageable conditions, and eradicating other cancers.
This is truly one of the greatest success stories in the history of science and medicine.
10
Agreed - my father was in that 95%: he was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer and the EGFR mutation and got a place in an EGF816 clinical trial. The drug had few side effects and allowed him more healthy days than I think the standard chemo regime would have, but it only held back the cancer for about 11 months. He was a healthy active hiker who would have enjoyed returning to old haunts in India had he been able. But that's not a news story.
2
Absolutely fantastic. May Mr. Lindsay climb many more summits. And congrats to his physicians and the researchers without whom Mr. Lindsay's stunning achievement would not have been possible. I'm a critic of the US health care system, but as I had to admit, when a neighbor recently responded to two checkpoint inhibitors and a CAR-T drug, the vast financial rewards for winning immunotherapeutic drugs seem to have provided the incentives for large, high-risk investments, some of which have clearly paid off.
4
I love such stories. You see, very often, what matters are the success stories. These stories give hope. Hope and a positive attitude are CRUCIAL while battling cancer. Comments like ""Just like high blood pressure." Valid if high blood pressure was 90 percent fatal in a few years and cost 10,000 a month to treat with drugs that could cause fatal toxicities."" are just mean spirited!
12
Can you imagine how long ago we would have had this type of treatment, if surgery wasn't so profitable for the Hospitals?
In general, people do not work very hard to put themselves out of business - we need a "Manhattan Project" to end cancer, that will not be supervised by the medical industry.
Too bad, my brother Bob, whose lung cancer went up into his brain, and then ripped across into his stomach - and so many others like him - will never see it happen.
9
"Just like high blood pressure." Valid if high blood pressure was 90 percent fatal in a few years and cost 10,000 a month to treat with drugs that could cause fatal toxicities. Cases like this are highly exeptional, instructive, and inspiring, but of little relevance to the average individual with stage 4 cancer. Occasional cancers have one driving mutation and are susceptible to these pricey drugs. Most have multiple driving mutations and are resistant.
Don't get me wrong, I strongly advocate for continued research and take delight in its benefits; I just wish that rare cases like this were not held out as an outcome that most people could expect.
17
An inspiring story. Others have already said this, but it's inaccurate to call this treatment "gene therapy," a term that seems to be increasingly misused.
3
Eventually, these treatments become mainstream and affordable. Maybe not in time to save a particular person but that is not a reason to knock them down altogether.
5
From the info provided by this article, it doesn't seem that the therapy given to Mr. Lindsay counts as 'gene therapy'. Gene therapies involve inserting DNA into the patient's cells, whereas Mr. Lindsay was treated by detecting and circumventing a resistance mutation in the cancer cells. Though not gene therapy, this is incredibly impressive, and is probably an example of the future of cancer treatment, as the genetic progression of cancers are increasingly understood and monitoring technologies improve.
7
What is the cost? Who will pay for it?
6
The cost for what? His climb or his therapy? Either way, what is it to you?
9
A life is priceless
5
The replies to to Ms. Hughes seem to imply that she is asking the question out of selfishness: maybe she doesn't want taxpayers or other insureds to pay for this treatment. However, as someone with a blood cancer, I have exactly the same question. And if the answer is "the patient," then, depending on the cost, treatments like this are out of my reach and absolutely useless.
2
Impressive feat, thanks to a revolutionized gene therapy able to individualize treatment for malignancies that, in the not too recent past, were impossible to imagine, and preventing the need to buy a speedy trip to oblivion. And the pain and suffering and cost inflicted by shotgun therapies of dubious efficacy and duration. Just don't tell Trump, a denier of science, so he won't get any ideas of disrupting progress, given that scientists may give his ego some unwanted shadow...and remove his flair from taking credit of whatever seems remotely positive and independent from his greedy claws of self-applause.
7
Take the hate-Trump goggles off for just a minute and find the article just published in the Times about the broad support among congressional Republicans for funding cutting-edge medical research. Quite possibly, the president agees with them.
1
Good for this guy. Most modern medical miracle cures are way above and beyond the financial reach of the average American.
Our fantastic medicine is only available for the wealthy today.
15
Not only these medical and oncological miracles will be out of reach if one is not a member of the 1%, but soon travel will become what those in the elite probably think it should have always been: their exclusive prerogative.
6
Not true. Early detection remains the best way to cure cancer. A low dose CT scan can “see” lumps as small as 3 mm. And CT scans are covered 100% by insurance, are treatments for all but the most advanced cancers.
We hear of all these wonderful medical breakthroughs and I wonder how many people can take advantage of them unless they have great health insurance coverage or tons of money. I’ll wager that if you can’t afford it you’d be shown the door. NEXT!
13
Ditto for transplant patients.
5
I disagree. I was diagnosed with stage one lung cancer, was treated and cured surgically and have been cancer free for two years. My insurance (which was Blue Cross PPO basically covered everything-except my deductible. You do not have be a rich guy to cough up $1,500 to save your life. I know that it east to be cynical and to repeat the “down with the 1% “ mantra-but it is not nice to do so here, where others are looking for hope.
4
I was first diagnosed with Stage III lung cancer in 2006, twelve years ago. After chemo and surgery, I had no evidence of disease (NED) for nearly five years. Since being re-diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in 2006, I have been on three different treatments that didn't even exist the first time I had lung cancer, including two targeted therapies like Andy's. The field is advancing so rapidly that all we need is a commitment to the research to truly turn this into a chronic disease for all, not just for the lucky few like Andy and me.
48
This is incorrectly labeled as “gene therapy.” Gene therapy is actually the use of nucleic acids to modify underlying genes themselves — think of CRISPR as the newest and most publicized example of this. What is described in this article is simply called “targeted therapy.” This uses drugs (simple and biological) to bind to specific versions of mutant proteins, in this case EGFR T790M, to inhibit their constitutive over activity.
37
Fantastic medical advances. Are these amazing new personalized gene tests and treatments commonly available in Canada and England?
3
No. These treatments were all invented by Donald Trump for use on “Real” Americans only, said Americans to be selected by one a series of “Life Panels” being set up by Sarah Palin. Just kidding-please excuse me-i could not resist.
2
I had the pleasure this week of showing a student an ugly looking scan of a patient we were about to see. It was three years old and showed bulky tumors. We then went in to talk to the patient. He has no cancer on exam and continues to actively farm. It is a really exciting time to be an oncologist.
One correction to this story, Mr. Lindsay is being treated with a targeted therapy not gene therapy. Gene therapy is when a patient's cells are removed, have their DNA (genes) manipulated and then are returned to the patient.
58
You are correct that Mr Lindsay is being treated with targeted therapy, and not gene therapy. However, gene therapy does not necessitate having cells removed from a patient. A gene therapy can be delivered intravenously or systemically (via a vector), as has been done in trials by Sangamo (e.g., https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02702115).
2
This is great but it's not "gene therapy". EGF816 is an inhibitor that more or less targets specific mutants of EGFR. Call it a designer drug if you like but "gene therapy" involves transfer of DNA into patients, or alteration of endogenous genes to effect a therapy.
21
This branded content should labeled as such.
3
We are truly living in an age of miracles and behind these miracles are decades of costly research. Please consider writing your congressmen and senators to support an increase in NIH funding. If you can, make a donation to a charitable organization that supports medical research.
32
Um, Sue, NIH is not the one making these breakthroughs in cancer treatment. It's the pharmaceutical industry. Yes, the evil pharmaceutical industry, which is expected to give away drugs at no cost, yet somehow still come up with the hundreds of millions of dollars necessary to bring a single drug from discovery to market.
2
Baloney. The NIH and Universities with tax and endowment monies are the true researchers; then the bloodsucking Big Pharms take over to run trials, patent and market and sell it to other countries for one-tenth the cost we pay.
11
Congratulations to Andy. Wonderful news. When will these therapies become available to the general public?
11
Great news! But I wonder how many poor patients, or those who don't have the good fortune to live near a comprehensive cancer center, receive this kind of cutting-edge care care?
23
This is heartening, May Andy climb many more mountains!
8
Could Andy not go for some treatment like stereotactic radio surgery to destroy the remaining two lesions? Removing all visible cancer is often beneficial.
3
Wow. Congratulations, Andy. As a Stage IV breast cancer patient, my doctor has started to refer to me as "chronic" rather than "terminal". Your venture and spirit inspires me. I'm off to the gym! Maybe the summit next year.
40
The very best of luck to you Ms. Cioffoletti! May your optimism and inner strength carry you through this "chronic" condition. I am inspired by you and your attitude. Fortunately, I have decent health but when I have moments of doubt or depression or frustration about silly and annoying things in life, I'll think of you and remind myself to stop being a knucklehead. Off to the gym in deed! Take care.
6
The article doesn't mention the price of this treatment. It can't have been cheap- how much money went into almost curing a rich person where we could have helped a lot more poor people with less advanced stages of disease?
8
In other words, there should be a death panel determining who is/is not worthy of expensive life-saving treatments?
2
Four hundred and thirty three people in the US die every day from lung cancer. That's right, 433, a day. Lung cancer can become a chronic disease, like diabetes and so many other, but only if research is funded. The article plainly states that Mr. Lindsay was part of a clinical trial. Whatever research led to the targeted therapy Mr. Lindsay benefitted from may benefit millions of people, if the trial shows that the treatment is indeed effective.
11
This lovely story is a nice dose of curative medicine for anyone reading the news during the Trump years, when good news is hard to come by.
24
Phenomenal achievement and a truly inspirational story. I had a few questions. What is the cutting edge gene therapy trial to which the article refers? When was Andy treated? EGF816, the drug to to which the article does refer, is a third generation EGF Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor and is not gene therapy.
7
While I certainly don't understand the science of this, it would seem that the achievement, and I'm first and foremost addressing the medical achievement, is something akin to walking on the moon. Mr. Lindsay's climb is a further testament, actual proof, of this medical breakthrough. The doctors are somewhere between the rest of us and God.
5
Andy and his family are sure lucky to have the best medical care in the world, and the financial freedom to live life like this. Viva America!
3
This is a wonderful and fortunately not too uncommon response to these targeted therapies, or as one of my patients called them, “the ‘nibs”. However it is not gene therapy. The FDA definition of gene therapy includes the introduction of nucleic acid or manipulation of the patient’s or tumor’s genetic material. The successful administration of such a treatment and his response would be worthy of above the fold placement.
6
Inspiring and awe inspiring! I love the triumph in his face and his nod to his medical team for scaling that great height of scientific achievement with him. I am a doctor and this gladdens my heart because I know research is a slog, it is hours of self abnegation to pursue theories and postulates, to chase ideas only hatched on paper, of sleep sacrificed to be in the lab, of grants written and grants denied, of anxieties about the govt funding of research every time the politics of the nation changes. Even today the NYT reports that while Republicans are willing to give millions for biomedical research they are not willing to fund health care. What foolishness to decouple research from care. Research is about care. That is called translational research--from lab to patients, that is what Andy Lindsay's treatment was about. Even in the lab a research doctor should not lose sight of the patient who awaits the latest breakthrough to live a little longer, to get better, to live without pain and fear, to be able achieve another milestone in his/her life. And here's a footnote--it is said that in rarefied mountain air, lung cancer cells, deprived of oxygen will not be able to multiply and thrive. Hypoxia works against lung cancer. I think of Dr.Kalanithi, a non smoker and a brilliant doctor and writer and so many like he, taken too early from us by lung cancer and am glad there is healing possible now. You don't have to smoke or be old to get lung cancer.
28
This is a fantastic and inspiring story, but it sounds like the patient is being treating with a drug, not gene therapy (which is a very different type of treatment).
5
Inspiring story of a person thriving with disease, his incredible care team, and the success of science and years of research. A story of humanity. I want to point out two misleading statements though.
1. Pressure doesn't push oxygen into the body through the lungs. At altitude, all parts of the body will be at the surrounding total pressure. Rather than being pushed in, or actively transported or created/secreted for that matter, oxygen diffuses into the blood from the airspaces across the thin membranes that separate air and blood.
2. The therapy described is not gene therapy, a phrase used multiple times in this piece. I think to most biomedical scientists, gene therapy is the delivery of or alteration of nucleic acid sequences.
8
Yes. I think the issue is that at high altitudes, there is much less oxygen in the air.
A grand “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” story!
What an inspiration for hope. Congratulations, and the best to both Lindsay’s.
So happy this story was shared. Thank you.
4
Inspiring story about the advances in cancer research and treatment. But this is not gene therapy, it's just another form of targeted cancer therapy informed by genetics...
3
Congrats, Andy, and I wish you continued success in your recovery. A truly inspiring story.
4
That is wonderful
I received a IDH 1 blocker as a trial which worked well
MRD showed up with new mutations
Doctors are using a new Chemo not approved for AML which I have
I continue to be in remission past 6 months
My Physician team at MD Anderson do a great job
I am proud about MGH as I was trained in Anesthesiology
Nice report
11
Mutation analysis and Genetic study and Flow Cytometry are helping Physicians to make correct care plan
I appreciate more as I am diagnosed with AML
Doctors say they cannot give the 5 year survival rate because of new research and discoveries
Very fascinating field
These cancer doctors are very dedicated and in cutting edge treatment and trials
I am very fortunate to be treated at MD Anderson largest Leukemia service in the world
4
You should have mentioned that Novartis is developing the gene therapy. Not only to help patients and prospective patients to be informed, but also to give some accolades to those on the cutting edge of gene therapy.
6
As a stage 4 lung cancer patient diagnosed in 2016 I am inspired by Andy’s story. I have tried to maintain an active lifestyle I still play hockey and go for long walks. For all advanced cancer patients the hope is in managing this as a chronic disease and always staying ahead of the cancer. That cannot happen without the help of the hero’s in this field such as the oncology nurses and doctors. Also the cancer associations can learn from this - to often the adds in cancer deal with the amount of deaths per year versus these inspirational stories. My view is I am a statistic of one and I will make my own story just like Andy does and will continue to do so.
Merci Andy - thank you.
31
great attitude, great results, great and hopeful story. i was lucky, they found and removed an early stage lung tumor. i stayed happy and confident, despite very occasional worries that I just pushed away since they didn't help me at all. attitude is a big part of making sure your energy doesn't go down the depression drain, but stays available to you for the fight you need to have. it isn't magical thinking, its attitude and action that helps make the magic.
4
Like Andy, my husband had Stage IV non small cell lung cancer with the EGFR mutation. His targeted therapies let him live three years of a physically active life, and continue his university teaching and writing. However, despite these incredible advances, we are not yet at the stage where we can call it a chronic disease. Only a small percentage of lung cancer patient have this mutation and benefit from the targeted therapies. Eventually the cancer mutates and outsmarts them. We must fund more research for lung cancer.
21
My mother had lung cancer. She never smoked and was as active as anyone I knew and only ate healthy, nutritious foods. She was in her early 60s when she died near 40 years ago.
Every time I see a commercial for cutting-edge gene therapy tears well up in my eyes because I wish those discoveries were around in my mother's time. I could not but help but cry when I read this incredible story of Andy Lindsay, the trek he and his lovely wife Jan undertook, and the ongoing success and recovery Mr. Lindsay is experiencing.
I feel somehow, some way, his regimen of physical activity, frame of mind, determination and incredible will to live and go forward with life and this particular mission of climbing to Mere Peak in Nepal (especially at age 61) has helped Mr. Lindsay accomplish success of scans that "were strikingly improved and he was almost symptom-free."
No one is guaranteed tomorrow but this story of Mr. Lindsay is so remarkable, it offers hope and inspiration to others on many different levels.
Applause to Dr. Neilan and Mr. Lindsay's entire medical team for an incredible job. And I'm certain with Mrs. Lindsay being at her husband's side was also key in his success.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story for enlightening readers of the promise gene therapy has for those with Stage IV lung cancer. Perhaps my mother might have survived if this treatment was available back then.
Best of luck and continued success Mr. Lindsay. You rock!
11
Extraordinary!! Well done Andy!
My father is a late stage EGFR lung cancer patient currently on gene therapy. Stories like these make me feel hopeful and cautiously optimistic about his future treatment plans.
5
Outstanding! A great climbing achievement, a great attitude, and great progress in cancer treatment. I'm dealing with mesothelioma and I find that attitude and the pursuit of a passion are big boosters for me. Athletic endeavors and other physically challenging activities seem to have a positive impact. We need more research on this.
35
Reading this deeply felt story today soon after embracing the memory my friend who died of Stage IV lung cancer a year ago, inspired admiration reaching almost to the height of Mera Glacier. My friend, as did Andy, continued the pursuits that he loved, while enjoying the sunshine and flora in Key West, Fl. He spirits rarely failed him. He kept smiling, laughing, being grateful to his dear partner and writing plays. Even when he could no longer dance or walk, he kept moving. Thank you to the writer of this piece, Todd Balf, the noble, Andy Lindsay, and all of those whose strong and beautiful spirits show us the ways to be alive.
72
For a guy like me, so lucky to be treated at the extraordinary Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, the Capital-T Trick for me is to take it a day at a time and make everyday count. Andy, you've given me inspiration for an entire week, at least. We don't define ourselves by cancer.
48
I'm so happy for Andy and everyone else 'living with cancer' due to targeted inhibitor drugs. May they all live life to the fullest, whether it involves climbing a mountain or another fantastic goal. I'm confused by the description of Andy's treatment as gene therapy. It seems he is actually taking a second generation inhibitor.
23
This was a tremendous achievement by Andy And will help push forward medical understanding of his type of health issue. however, there is no need to exaggerate. Sea-level pressure at 6000 m is 50% less than at sea level, not 70%. That would be the number On the summit of Mount Everest,Which is considerably higher than Mera Peak.
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/air-altitude-pressure-d_462.html
13
If I ever feel tired, worn down, or overly challenged by what life is dishing out me, Andy's story helps me to muster, to keep going and not complain. Beyond the impressive physical feats, it's the example he sets, of courage and persistence in adversity, that gives so much.
53
Way to go Andy! You are awesomeness personified.
32
Active lifestyle? That's for us who go to the movies, travel staying in hotels with beds and bathrooms. mybe risk public transportation, and eat out.
There must be a more appropriate category for someone who "came back" to a level of performance few on earth ever could match in their prime.
79
I believe part of the reason for Andy's success is the very Active [to extreme] Lifestyle - keeping the lungs and body strong for faster recovery and strength. I have Sarcoidosis of the lungs (to stage III or IV in <3.5 years, 12 lung infections, 2 pneumonias), certainly I had drugs, but I also became a hiking maniac - still do it and love it. I'm now in remission for about 4-5 years, but strongly believe the strenuous exercise (at least one 6-8 hour hike per week, plus normal walking/biking) helped me tremendously to over come situations. Granted, it's difficult to find time, stay motivated, etc., an enjoyable hobby/sport is key.
Paul
3
Andy should inspire all of us to live life to its fullest. Go Andy, go!
49