might becoming soon,that theremight be noway to
slowthedisease,“wasnotsomethingsheorIwantedto
discuss,” her mother said.
Herfather,Gary,andhertwinsister,Emily,stillheldout
hopeforacure.Thedoctorssimplyweren’tlookinghard
enough, theyfelt.“I just couldn’t believetherewasn’t
something,”Garysaid.ForRich,theexperienceofSara’s
illnesshadbeendisorienting:“Wehadababy.Wewere
young.Andthiswassoshockingandsoodd.Wenever
discussed stopping treatment.”
Marcouxtookthemeasureoftheroom.Withalmosttwo
decadesofexperiencetreatinglungcancer,hehadbeen
through manyof these conversations. He has a calm,
reassuring air and a native Minnesotan’s tendency to
avoid confrontation or over-intimacy. He tries to be
scientific about decisions.
“Iknowthatthevastmajorityofmypatientsaregoingto
dieoftheirdisease,”hetoldme.Thedatashowthat,after
failureofsecond-linechemotherapy,lungcancerpatients
rarelygetanyaddedsurvivaltimefromfurthertreatments
andoftensuffersignificantsideeffects.Buthe,too,has
his hopes.
Hetoldthemthat,atsomepoint,“supportivecare”was
anoptionforthemtothinkabout.But,hewenton,there
were also experimental therapies. He told them about
severalthatwereundertrial.Themostpromisingwasa
Pfizerdrugthattargetedone ofthemutations foundin
hercancer’scells.Saraand herfamilyinstantlypinned
theirhopesonit.Thedrugwassonewthatitdidn’teven