In an unprecedented medical feat, Northwestern Medicine has reportedly performed a successful double-lung transplant on a woman who was in the throes of a battle against Stage 4 colorectal cancer. The recipient, Amanda "Mandy" Wilk, was diagnosed in 2017 with a cancer that had metastasized to her liver, and despite numerous aggressive treatments and even a liver transplant in 2020, the cancer persisted and spread to her lungs. This information came directly from Fox32 Chicago.
Wilk's saga of treatment and her search for a cure led her to the Double Lung Replacement and Multidisciplinary Care (DREAM) Program at Northwestern, a unique initiative that, according to the institution, offers lung transplants to cancer patients who have exhausted other treatment options. "I traveled to almost every major health system across the country, and they all told me there was nothing more they could do," Wilk said, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. However, per her statements, she found hope at Northwestern Medicine where they were "ready and eager to help me live."
The surgery took place on June 3, and Dr. Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery and director of the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute, led the surgical team. They were reportedly able to remove Wilk's cancerous lungs with precision, preventing any cancer cells from entering the bloodstream, before transplanting the new lungs. This groundbreaking procedure is considered a first at Northwestern Medicine for a patient with stage 4 colorectal cancer, and, as per the information obtained by Fox32 Chicago, currently, "Wilk has no signs of cancer in her body and does not require any further cancer therapy."
Wilk's journey has been characterized by her resilience, the support of her medical team, and now, her historic recovery. "Mandy's determination has no limits," said Dr. Catherine Myers, one of Wilk's doctors and a lung transplant pulmonologist at Northwestern, in a statement obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times. After receiving clearance from her pulmonologist, Wilk, an avid runner, has returned to the activity she loves and is setting her sights on completing the Chicago Marathon with her new lungs.
