How did a 20-year-old who never smoked get advanced lung cancer?

At the age of 20, Geula Marx was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Despite her young age and even though she had never smoked, the disease was detected in stage 4 with brain metastases.

Her hopeful story will convince you never to ignore suspicious symptoms

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health

12/09/2022

Monday, September 12, 2022, 11:00 a.m. Updated: 11:05 a.m.

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About three years ago, when 23-year-old Geula Marks from Mitzpe Jericho finished her year of service and intended to study for the psychometric exam, she felt she was having trouble breathing while running with a friend.

At first she didn't attach much importance to it, but little by little symptoms began to appear such as a cough that didn't stop, shortness of breath, bloody discharge in the cough, and the like.

Geula went to a doctor who thought it might be a burn in the lungs due to cleaning agents.

But after the situation did not improve, Geula was sent for a chest X-ray.

When the findings arrived, the doctor thought it was pneumonia and Geula started receiving antibiotics.

"No one, certainly not me, had any idea that it was cancer," she recalls.

When the situation did not improve, Geula was referred to a pulmonologist but the queues were long and she was asked to wait about five months for an appointment with the doctor.

Geula's parents insisted and referred her to the emergency medical center after she was unable to stand on her feet and walk.

The medical team that examined her urgently referred her to Shaare Zedek for fear of acute pneumonia.

At the hospital, they discovered that there was fluid in the lungs, and decided to do drainage, a biopsy and a CT scan.

After a few days, the results of the pathology and of the Oncotest genomic test that she performed were received.

"The results showed unequivocally that it was lung cancer," Geula recalls, "I was convinced that it was at most asthma."

The doctors can't explain how it happened

"To this day, the doctors don't know how to explain how it happened," says Geula, "No one in my family has suffered from the disease and I have never smoked. There is no logical explanation why I got this type of cancer that characterizes adults who have smoked for decades."

At first, naturally, Geula had a hard time digesting the hard news and therefore preferred to repress, stay away, and above all not to read too much about the subject.

At first she still preferred to repress.

Geula Marx on a trip with a friend (photo: courtesy of the photographers)

"The day before I was supposed to start a psychometric course, I was hospitalized," she recalls.

But despite dealing with the disease, Geula chose not to give up her studies and between treatments she joined a psychometric preparation course.

After Geula performed a genomic test, a mutation was discovered in the tumor called EGFR, which fortunately allowed her to receive the biological treatment Tagriso, which has been in the health basket for several years.

According to studies, this drug can delay the development of the disease, significantly extend the life of its patients and reduce the risk of mortality.

"The doctors recommended the treatment to me because they estimated that in my case it would have a dramatic effect on the tumor."

Despite the cancer, this is the best year I've had in my life

At the beginning of the journey, when she was still trying to digest the meanings of the gospel, Geula was exposed to a newspaper article about a young woman with lung cancer who told, among other things, about the help she received from the Israeli lung cancer association.

Following the publication, she joined the Facebook group "Friends for Breathing" which is intended for patients and family members.

"Unlike at the beginning of the journey I repressed and avoided understanding the meaning of my illness, through the association I received a lot of information and tools that helped me gain security and peace during the challenging period."

The association offered Geula to join Zoom meetings and get to know patients and other patients who are dealing with the disease.

"Through the association, I met amazing friends like Rachel, who was diagnosed with lung cancer at the age of 31 after pregnancy," says Geula, "I remember we talked on the phone and connected on amazing levels. We shared experiences and tips from each one's personal experience. This friendship gave us strength to keep fighting."

"I tried to have an atmosphere of laughter and fun with the company around the treatments."

Geula Marx and company (photo: courtesy of those photographed)

According to her, instead of immersing herself in mountains of information, data and statistics, she made a conscious choice to step away from it all and deal with the difficulty with friendship and humor.

"I tried to have an atmosphere of laughter and fun with the friends around the treatments, as much as possible to laugh about the issue. In retrospect, I realize that this was the best year I've had in my life."

"Even if the disease returns, I will know how to cope and beat it again"

Three years have passed since the diagnosis and Geula is still receiving the same treatment.

"At first I received a normal dose, but then they discovered brain metastases and increased my dose," she recalls, "After three months there was already an improvement and now I've been cancer-free for two years. As it came, so it went."

Geula says that one of the things that strengthened her in dealing with the disease was faith and optimism, both in scary days and after receiving difficult news from doctors.

"The optimism and faith were there all the time," she admits, "the fears were added during the treatments. I remember, for example, when I had tests and waited a long time for the results, I ate movies and it was not easy to deal with. It's not always easy, but above all, it's a matter of decision." .

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"I'm really trying to continue the routine of life, get stronger and keep the faith. I know and am sure that even if the disease returns, I will know how to cope and beat it again," she says.

Geula's optimism is also reflected in her professional ambitions.

Today she is studying nursing and dreams of becoming a nurse.

According to her, the decision to choose this profession was influenced by her personal experience in treatments when she revealed the attitude of the nurses and the great influence they had on her.

She is now finishing her second year of studies at Shaare Zedek Hospital - the place where she was treated - and in about two years she will become a certified nurse.

"Today I am more convinced than ever that this is my vocation," says Gaula.

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