Arlene Rohrer

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patient Stories

Arlene, enjoying quality time on her sailboat.

Personalized Medicine at Work

Although Arlene Rohrer was shocked to learn she had lung cancer, she wasn't totally caught off guard. She had quit smoking several years before, but knew that her history with cigarettes could come back to haunt her. As the buyer for a high-end boutique, Arlene often traveled back and forth to New York City. Just after the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks, she noticed many people in the fashion district wearing masks. Her cab driver explained that the stench and dust remained for several months. At the time of her diagnosis, Arlene's doctors noticed black dust in her lungs. While Arlene feels that this may also have contributed to her lung cancer diagnosis, she'll never know for sure. What she does know is that if she did not travel to Fox Chase for a second opinion, she might not be here today to share her dramatic story.

In August 2009, about a year after Arlene had retired, she experienced fatigue and had a cold. Her doctor, Christopher J. Putney, MD, who was also a family friend, diagnosed her with a sinus infection, but sent her for a chest x-ray just to be sure. The following morning, Dr. Putney knocked on her door. "That's when I knew something was seriously wrong," admitted Arlene.

"My world turned upside down that day."

Arlene and her husband listened to her diagnosis - Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. There were nodules in both her lungs and the middle of her chest. "My world turned upside down that day," she recalled. Arlene had more testing and saw more specialists in her hometown of Lancaster, PA. She was told her chances of survival were not great.

Internet research directed Arlene to Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Her son, who lives in New Jersey, began researching treatment options on the Internet. He discovered Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and suggested that his mom make an appointment for a second opinion.

During her appointments, Arlene understood that because she was in such good health, the cancer may have been growing for several years without her knowing. "I was able to mask the fact that I had cancer," Arlene admitted.

Arlene's local doctor felt Fox Chase would offer her the best options.

Before she made an appointment, Arlene checked with her doctor, who had done his own research on hospitals from Baltimore to New York City. He agreed that Fox Chase would offer her the best options moving forward. In early September, Arlene and her husband traveled to Philadelphia where they met with Walter Scott, MD, a thoracic surgeon.

"Dr. Scott was extremely thorough. Because he was not satisfied with the level of testing that had been performed, he ordered more," Arlene shared. She underwent a biopsy and a CAT Scan, where doctors discovered the lung cancer had metastasized, or spread, to her brain. She was therefore no longer a candidate for surgery.

Arlene's care team, including Mark Buyyounouski, MD, MS, a radiation oncologist, decided that the spot on the brain had to be handled immediately.

Arlene with her son, Phil, and her husband, Ivan.

Cyberknife, a non-invasive state-of-the-art radiation therapy, was used to target the spot on Arlene's brain.

Fox Chase had recently acquired a Cyberknife - the most sophisticated radiation treatment technology to treat cancers in delicate areas such as the brain and lung. Arlene traveled to Fox Chase's Buckingham office and underwent Cyberknife treatment. "Everything about the brand new Buckingham was lovely - from Dr. Buyyounouski, to the welcoming staff, to the beautiful facility," Arlene noted. "It's like a family up there."

"Hope Lodge was a wonderful place to stay while I was being treated."

Because the Rohrer's live over 2 hours away from Fox Chase, they were given the opportunity to stay at the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge of the American Cancer Society. "Hope Lodge was a wonderful place to stay while I was being treated," she explained. "It was a short walk to Fox Chase and the accommodations were perfect. Everyone there was so nice and friendly."

Once the spot on her brain had been successfully treated, Arlene met with her doctors to discuss her next step - chemotherapy. A clinical trial had recently opened at Fox Chase called MADe-IT (Molecular Analyses Directed Individualized Therapy).

Arlene received Personalized Medicine through a clinical trial.

The trial involved personalized chemotherapy given based on the expression of certain genes in a patient's tumor. Arlene was a perfect fit. Because she was in good health otherwise, her doctors felt that the personalized chemotherapy approach offered in the MADe IT trial would benefit her more than the traditionally offered standard treatment approaches. Today, Arlene's cancer has regressed over 30 percent.

The Rohrers enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren, as well as sailing. "We spend so much time on the water in the summer. It would be hard to imagine not being able to sail," explained Arlene.