Paragonimiasis Misdiagnosed as Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Case Report

Finishing Chemo With Stage 4 Lung Cancer: Facing Hope And Uncertainty

On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 30-year-old Clara Mae Cirks' life changed drastically following a stage 4 diagnosis of lung cancer.

After her diagnosis, she spent five days in the hospital, where she received two blood transfusions over two days. Now, just six months later, Clara has undergone two biopsies, five rounds of brain radiation, six rounds of chemotherapy and immunotherapy (Keytruda [pembrolizumab]), two rounds of Avastin (bevacizumab), and one additional round of immunotherapy, with a lifetime of treatment ahead. She has also had four hospital stays, ten blood transfusions, and one platelet infusion.

In a candid interview with CURE, Clara shares her thoughts and concerns after completing her sixth and final round of chemotherapy. She explained that, despite finishing chemotherapy, she must continue visiting her cancer center regularly for immunotherapy, creating feelings of uncertainty.

You can follow Clara and her journey on TikTok and Instagram @C_Cirks. On these platforms, she openly answers questions about her diagnosis and treatment, shares updates on her condition, and creates a safe space for others with cancer to have an honest dialogue about their disease.

You recently completed your last round of chemotherapy. How did it feel to reach that milestone as someone with stage 4 disease, and what emotions came with ringing the bell?

I did six rounds of chemo, and they didn't have a bell, so I was pretty bummed about that. The nurses all signed a certificate for me with their names, which was nice. I took a picture with the certificate, and then I got a video of me when they de-accessed my port for the last time for chemo. I was just like, "Yay!" That was exciting and really emotional for me, because I had been looking forward to that day for so long. I had just had a 10-day hospital stay prior to that, so I was just really excited to get it done and over with. Then I ended up back in the hospital after my last round of chemo, which was also kind of a bummer.

I think for me, it's hard because that day should have felt like the end of treatment. But since I'm stage four, I will be on immunotherapy indefinitely, likely for the rest of my life. That is kind of difficult for me to wrap my head around, because I still have to go back to my cancer center and get the infusion, and still have my port accessed every three weeks. I think that's kind of hard, balancing "Am I done with treatment?" or, "Does this qualify as treatment still, with immunotherapy forever?"

The word 'survivor' doesn't really resonate with me, honestly. I have a hard time using that word because I probably will never feel that sense of survivorship, I guess. It's hard for me to see other survivors. Everyone gets their hair back and they look normal; they kind of go back to reality. I feel like I'll never get there. That is really overwhelming to me and really upsetting and just a lot of emotions to work through, knowing that I'll probably never get back to my old self or my normal.

So, it's just a lot to wrap my head around.

This piece reflects the author's personal experience and perspective. For medical advice, please consult your health care provider.

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New Summit Data Clouds Approval Pathway In Lung Cancer

Combining Summit Therapeutics and Akeso's closely watched cancer drug with chemotherapy didn't help people with lung cancer live longer than chemo alone in a late-stage study, raising doubts whether the Food and Drug Administration will agree to review it for potential approval.

The final analysis of the Harmoni trial, released Sunday at the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Spain, was the first data from a global Phase 3 study for ivonescimab or any drug in its class, which block both the immune pathway PD-1 and the blood vessel-building protein VEGF.

Drugmakers have invested heavily in the PD-1-VEGF class, looking to build on the success of PD-1-blocking drugs like Keytruda and Opdivo. More than a dozen are in development, with Merck & Co. And BioNTech notably among the big-name drugmakers that have bought into the field.

The Harmoni data will likely make many take a closer look, however. Summit teased the possibility of a positive outcome in May, when results from the trial, which tested the ivonescimab-chemo combination in people with an EGFR mutation and PD-1 expression who already progressed on a VEGF inhibitor, showed the combination reduced the risk of death or progression by 48% compared with chemo plus placebo.

At that point, the trial was unable to prove the combination extended survival, as the reported 21% relative reduction in the risk of death failed to achieve statistical significance. Summit said it wanted to do a final analysis with longer follow-up from people from Western countries enrolled in the trial. Without a statistically significant overall survival benefit, the FDA wouldn't approve the drug, the company said at the time.

The data released Sunday didn't help its case. The analysis showed that trial participants from North America and the EU, when assessed, together, had only a 16% relative reduction in the risk of death. People enrolled in North America, when analyzed separately from Europe, had a 30% relative risk reduction.

Summit executives acknowledged the timing of the survival readouts and their conflicting findings might cast doubt on ivonescimab's effectiveness. "[We] knew this was going to be a problem," said Jack West, Summit's vice president of clinical development, in a call with Wall Street analysts.

However, he said critics should also listen to physicians who have seen the drug's benefits.

"Some of the conversations I've had just in the last few hours are with people who have actually used ivonescimab, who are extremely committed to it, who have participated in this trial," he said. "They've seen what they've come to conclude are really good results as well. And so there's nothing like that clinical experience."

Summit shares fell 24% in morning trading.

Leerink Partners analyst Daina Graybosch wrote in a note to clients that following the data she believes the FDA won't approve ivonescimab nor will Summit be able to achieve a licensing deal "at the substantial valuation expected by investors."

Evercore ISI analyst Cory Kasimov, meanwhile, wrote it's possible Summit executives could re-open negotiations with the FDA and file on this data. However, it's probably better for the company to wait until it has data from trials in a first-line setting, according to his note.

Lung Cancer Screening Beneficial To Age 80 For Candidates Fit For Surgery

HealthDay News — People aged 75 to 80 years at last screen who are diagnosed with screen-detected lung cancer (LC) have lower overall survival, but those undergoing surgery have no survival difference to younger patients, according to a study presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer, held from Sept. 6 to 9 in Barcelona, Spain.

Patrick Goodley, M.B.B.Chir., from Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom, and colleagues reported treatment and survival rates in people aged 75 to 80 years diagnosed with screen-detected LC in two targeted LC screening implementation settings in the United Kingdom: the Yorkshire Lung Screening Trial and North & East Manchester Lung Health Check program.

The researchers identified 574 lung cancer cases, including 190 (33 percent) in those aged 75 to 80 years. There was no difference in stage distribution by age group. Overall, curative-intent treatment rates were high (87 percent), but older patients had a lower surgical resection rate (42 versus 58 percent in the 55- to 74-year-old age group). The older group also had higher all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.54; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.12 to 2.10; P < 0.001), which was 44 versus 34 percent at four years from diagnosis. No survival difference was seen for the subgroup treated with surgery (hazard ratio, 1.00; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.47 to 2.11), with four-year mortality of 16 versus 18 percent (P = 1.00).

"Our findings suggest that extending lung cancer screening up to age 80 could be valuable for older adults who are fit for surgery," Goodley said in a statement.

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