"A cancer diagnosis is not necessarily a death sentence."
Dave Nitsche, a 57-year-old former Ironman triathlete from Canada, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2019. The discovery came after he experienced vision loss in his left eye. Initial tests suggested a detached retina, but further examination revealed fluid buildup and the presence of cancerous cells. Nitsche—who never smoked—had no other symptoms. His initial prognosis was 12 to 24 months.
After a three-month course of targeted therapy with afatinib, the cancer spread to his brain. He then began treatment with osimertinib (Tagrisso), which he took for six years. When that drug stopped working, he transitioned to amivantamab (Rybrevant), administered intravenously every three weeks. After one year on this new therapy, scans show significant improvement. Side effects include skin irritation and nail infections, but Nitsche describes them as manageable.
Nitsche is now planning a 600-mile bike ride in June to raise awareness for lung cancer. He credits his high level of physical fitness for contributing to his survival well beyond the initial prognosis. He emphasizes that a cancer diagnosis is not necessarily a death sentence, pointing to ongoing research and new treatment options.
Dr. Azam J. Farooqui, a hematologist-oncologist not involved in Nitsche's care, noted that eye metastasis from lung cancer is rare. He described Rybrevant as a manageable treatment, with possible dose reductions to mitigate side effects. The drug is approved for certain types of non-small cell lung cancer in both the United States and Canada.