Julia's shoulder pain was a warning sign for lung cancer

I was diagnosed with stage 4 ROS1+ lung cancer at age 45

I am Julia, a 54 year old mother of three who loves reading and heavy metal.

When I was diagnosed with stage 4 ROS1+ lung cancer back in 2016 at the age of 45, I had been experiencing a chest infection that wouldn't go away and ongoing pain in my chest, neck, upper back and shoulder. For months, I'd been suffering with shoulder pain, and I put that down to sleeping awkwardly - I didn't realise that was one of the warning signs at the time.

I've had pretty successful treatments up to date including chemotherapy and targeted therapies. Last year, I had progression on the brain and had exhausted all treatment options on the NHS. My oncologist applied for Lorlatinib a new treatment on compassionate grounds with Pfizer and luckily for me, that was granted. This last year I've been on this treatment, which I have had amazing results on, and I'm now living a normal life again.

I am involved in two charities, trying to make a difference. One is Every Breath Lung Cancer Support, and the other one is ROS1ders UK, where we are trying to get better treatment options for patients in the future.

Spending time with family, helping others who have been diagnosed and keeping active are what matter most to me.

"It started with a bout of pneumonia, which ended with me in ICU for eight days."