Rakhi Henderson explains how cancer research unlocked a life-changing treatment for her rare form of cancer.

It started with back pain. It was during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. I went to the doctor and wanted to make sure everything was okay.

I had some tests done, and it turned out I had stage 2 adenocarcinoma.

It was extremely shocking for me because I was a nonsmoker. I never thought I would be able to get lung cancer — and yet there I was.

But everything went well. I got my lower left lobe removed, and I was living life quite well. 

Then it came back in 2022, and it had metastasized into the pleura. I was given three to eight months to get my affairs in order. 

I decided right then and there I needed a second opinion.

That’s when they did a lot of testing on my tumour, and also blood biopsy testing and testing of the pleural fluid. They found out that I had a very rare form of cancer called ‘ROS-1 positive lung cancer’. This genetic mutation, ROS1, seems to affect predominantly women of Asian descent in their 40s to 50s. 

I was told that there was a treatment for it. It was a targeted therapy. 

Somebody had gone out and researched how to treat this genetic mutation that only affects like one-to-two per cent of all of adenocarcinoma patients. I was going to be able to take this drug and it would change my life.

And because of this drug, I have been able to live my best life.

Rakhi Henderson is an internal auditor and mother of two living the Greater Toronto Area. She was born in Kolkata, India, and spent her early years in Japan before moving to Canada with her family at the age of three. She studied English and History at the University of Toronto, and maintains a passion for politics and world history.