Laura Greco is determined to fight cancer with everything she’s got, to be here for her children and husband. She has Stage 4 cancer following an initial diagnosis of Stage 3A ALK positive lung cancer in 2015. She was treated and had no evidence of disease for about 15 months, until October, 2016.

Greco might never have discovered her lung cancer had it not been for a serious car accident she and her then six-year-old son survived. At the hospital, she was given a complete body scan that showed a mass in her left lung. With no noticeable symptoms, she nearly forgot to mention it to her PCP in a follow up exam days after the accident as she was recovering from a concussion that left her thinking temporarily fuzzy.

A subsequent bronchoscopy confirmed lung cancer, leading to six weeks of aggressive chemo and radiation at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a two-and-a-half hour drive from her home in Albany, NY. This meant finding an apartment in Boston and taking a leave from her legal work to go on disability. Greco’s law firm was supportive and in January 2017, named her a member of the firm.

Greco, who never smoked and has no family history of lung cancer, underwent surgery in June 2015 to remove part of her lung and lymph nodes. Thanks to parents, in-laws and her husband, the children were kept on as normal a routine as possible during Greco’s treatment.

Four more rounds of chemo followed and then a period of being disease-free, only to have the cancer come roaring back.

Lung Cancer, Cancer, Cancer Survivor Patient safety, Healthcare Quality & Safety, Patient Boundary Issues, Law, Lawyers,