Poland non-smoker surviving Stage 4 lung cancer

YOUNGSTOWN

Poland native Matthew Hiznay recently celebrated his 30th birthday, a milestone he thought he’d never reach just five years ago.

After surviving stage four lung cancer, Hiznay is using his second chance at life as a champion for people afflicted with his form of cancer, taking on the role of a spokesman for the Go Boldly campaign.

Go Boldly is dedicated to finding life-saving medicines with the help of 140,000 researchers backed by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

In March, Hiznay spoke to state legislators to explain how he overcame his illness and voice his support for biopharmaceutical innovation and clinical trials. He serves as both a product of that medical innovation and as a symbol of hope.

“It’s thrilling, and terrifying, to be at the tip of the razor’s edge here. I just have to hope that I always stay just behind that line of therapies coming out versus diseases returning,” he said.

In August 2011, Hiznay was diagnosed with an aggressive and rare form of cancer – anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive nonsmall cell lung cancer – and was given less than a year to live.

Dr. Nathan Pennell, medical oncologist at Cleveland Clinic, has known Hiznay for nearly six years. Dr. Pennell, a cancer specialist, was assigned to be his physician. His first reaction to a 24-year-old nonsmoker with stage four lung cancer was more than surprise, but also confusion, since most people in his condition are in their 70s.

“If all of his treatment options had been standard chemotherapy, he would have died in the intensive-care unit,” Dr. Pennell said.

Fluid in the sac around his heart and in his lungs was caused by a rare form of lung cancer, and swollen lymph nodes constricted his airway.

On the same week as his diagnosis, a new biopharmaceutical drug developed by Pfizer was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The drug, Xalkori, changed a unique and rare form of lung cancer from terminal to manageable.

Hiznay said he had a lot of doubts about the drug therapy’s effectiveness.

Read more about his condition and recovery in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.