Healthy triathlete's 'wavy' vision problem turned out to be devastating

Key Points:

• Dave Nitsche, a healthy triathlete and non-smoker, was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in 2019 after experiencing vision problems and having fluid buildup behind his eye, which led to the eye's removal.
• Initially given a prognosis of one to two years to live, Nitsche exceeded expectations by surviving six years on the targeted therapy osimertinib before switching to a new antibody drug, Rybrevant, combined with chemotherapy.
• Nitsche is among the first Canadian patients to receive Rybrevant, which he reports works well, and continues to participate in activities like cooking classes and an upcoming 1,000-kilometer bike ride to raise lung cancer awareness.
• He emphasizes that lung cancer can affect non-smokers and highlights environmental risk factors such as radon gas and asbestos, advocating for pre-screening and ongoing research to improve outcomes.
• Nitsche collaborates with support groups and organizations to spread the message that cancer is not necessarily a death sentence and that early detection and new treatments can significantly extend life.