The one thing ALK+ cancer patients have in common is that none of us ever expected this diagnosis. There are no known risk factors for our disease and each story is unique and comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and places. We represent a wide range of people across all ages, from children, young adults to retirees. We also come from a wide range of countries and backgrounds. Often, we have none of the typical risk factors that you would expect, especially those of us with ALK+ lung cancer, as most of us are never or non-smokers and much younger. 

We may have been thrown together because of ALK+ cancer, but we are now working together to find better treatments and turn ALK+ cancer into a chronic condition. 

We hope that by reading our stories and watching our interviews, you can join us in our mission to increase research into ALK+ cancer so we can not only understand how to prevent this disease, but how we can increase life expectancy for our ALK+ cancer community.