For many people, difficulties with swallowing a pill might not be cause for concern.
Linda Rossi, however, knew something was wrong when she found herself choking while taking her vitamins; although she could still talk, she felt as though something was blocking her windpipe.
Rossi, who was 66 at the time, went to the emergency department at a local hospital in California, where doctors took an X-ray as a precaution.
They found a spot on her lung, which they confirmed as lung cancer.
“I was so horrified, I don’t remember anything else the doctor told me,” Rossi said. “I was a smoker for over 20 years.”
Over 200,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States every year.
Rossi had adenocarcinoma, which had also affected the lymph nodes adjacent to the primary lung tumor.
While most people with lung cancer are diagnosed at more advanced stages, Rossi was diagnosed at stage 2, which is uncommon.
She received five rounds of chemotherapy to shrink the tumor before she was scheduled for surgery in December 2013.
That surgery never happened because a few months later, her doctor passed away from glioblastoma.
“I didn’t have anybody to follow up my treatment, and I kept hoping that it was going to be ok,” Rossi said. “Charles and Jane, my brother and sister-in-law, pushed me to go to a cancer research hospital.”
Moving from California to Michigan for treatment
During that time, Rossi was considering moving back to Michigan to be closer to her family.
Her family insisted that she seek treatment at the University of Michigan Health.
Rossi’s initial appointments were with Gregory Kalemkerian, M.D., clinical professor of internal medicine and member of the Rogel Cancer Center.
Following his recommendations, Rossi underwent a minimally invasive surgery to remove the lung tumor in the upper lobe of her right lung.
“My original surgery in California would’ve involved opening up my chest and removing the entire lung. I couldn’t believe that they were able to do it with three small incisions,” Rossi said.
Three months later, her team found another tumor in middle lobe of her right lung.
After another surgical procedure, Rossi remained tumor-free for four years, confirmed by regular CT scans.
Curing a late recurrence of brain metastasis
In October 2018, Rossi started having bouts of vertigo that were more intense than anything she had in the past.
Even though she had the condition for 25 years, this time she was unable to use the stairs in her house, her handwriting became illegible and she started leaning towards her left side.
Her neurologist at a local hospital in Dearborn Heights, Mich., insisted that Rossi undergo an MRI, which revealed a tumor in her brain.
Along with her brother and sister-in-law, Rossi rushed to the U-M emergency room where she was given steroids to reduce the swelling in her brain.
“Her situation was unique because Rossi had an isolated recurrence of her cancer in her brain four years after her initial treatment, which meant she now had stage 4 disease,” Kalemkerian said.
It was likely that a rogue cell from Rossi’s first tumor had traveled to her brain and reactivated four years later to form a tumor, a phenomenon called tumor dormancy.
Her tumor was approximately the size of an egg, which also caused vision issues.
Rossi’s treatment plan included surgery with Oren Sagher, M.D., professor of neurological surgery, who removed the tumor.
To ensure that there were no remaining cancer cells in the area, she also received radiation with Theodore Lawrence, M.D., Ph.D., professor of radiation oncology and a member of Rogel Cancer Center.
Unfortunately, Rossi’s vision remained compromised, and she now relies on her family and car services to travel.
Her team agrees that the most unique aspect of Rossi’s situation is that seven years later, she’s alive and has no further evidence of cancer recurrence.
“I am grateful for all the stellar doctors who took care of me and always answered every question I had with patience and kindness,” Rossi said.
“I tell everyone to seek out the best medical team they can, regardless of where they are located. No matter where I move, I will never give up my access to U-M.”
Since Rossi remains at risk for developing new lung cancers, she continues to have regular CT scans.
In her spare time, she spends time with her family, meeting with her book club and listening to audiobooks.
If you care about lung health, please read studies about marijuana’s effects on lung health, and why some non-smokers get lung disease and some heavy smokers do not.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.
Written by Ananya Sen, Michigan Medicine.
