Brecksville resident going strong after dim lung cancer prognosis

by Emily Canning-Dean

As a nonsmoker, Matt Hiznay never thought he would be diagnosed with lung cancer, but just before he was preparing for his second year in medical school, the Brecksville resident received some very grim news.

While the initial prognosis looked bleak, thanks to newly developed drugs, Hiznay is going strong and has embarked upon a career path to help others who find themselves in similar circumstances.

“It was August of 2011 and I had this persistent dry cough that just seemed to worsen very quickly,” he said.

Hiznay had an annual physical scheduled for the end of August and thought he would wait to bring up the issue with his doctor at that time. But later that month, the cough worsened and a lymph node on the left side of his neck started to swell. A biopsy confirmed Hiznay had cancer and he traveled to the Cleveland Clinic to see thoracic oncologist Nathan Pennell.

Hiznay was diagnosed with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer, which is the result of a gene mutation present in only about 4% of lung cancer patients. The chance of survival within five years was only 1%. The cancer had spread to both lungs and into all of the lymph nodes in his chest, as well as into his breastbone. Pennell decided that due to the advanced state of the cancer, Hiznay was too weak to begin chemotherapy.

Hiznay spent three weeks at Cleveland Clinic while doctors ran tests to see if he was a candidate for the drug Crizotinib, which had just recently become FDA approved.

“I was on my death bed waiting for the results. I crashed twice while I was there. I nearly died in the ICU and one of the doctors who cared for me said I was the sickest person he had known to survive,” he said. “Because it was such a new drug, it had to be overnighted to the Cleveland Clinic because they didn’t have it there yet. I went into the hospital Sept. 1 and walked out Sept. 21.”

While the medication had a positive effect initially, Hiznay had a rough few years with the cancer returning.

“The cancer came back about two months before my wedding and I ended up doing chemo and radiation,” he said.

Hiznay embarked upon another clinical trial, being prescribed another drug called Lorlatinib, also known as Lorbrena. This drug seemed to have had a more long-term positive effect and for more than nine years now, Hiznay has been in good health and in remission.

While Hiznay didn’t return to medical school, he did earn a PhD in molecular medicine from Case Western Reserve University and currently works as an ontology scientist for Sarah Cannon Research Institute. In this role, he matches patients with cancer to clinical trials based on genetic reports.

“I had studied chemistry at John Carroll University and I wanted to be a physician because I had a drive to help patients,” Hiznay said. “But after my cancer recurred, I had the hard realization that I wasn’t going to be able to return to medical school.”

But following his own experience, Hiznay realized he still wanted to help patients in the way medical professionals had helped him.

“I once had no clue companies like this existed, but before I joined the Sarah Cannon Research Institute, I was doing similar work,” he said.

Hiznay continues to live in Brecksville with his wife, Ally, and their daughter, Theodora. His advice to fellow cancer patients is to make sure they have their tumor molecularly profiled to determine the best next steps for care.

“Also, a clinical trial is not a death sentence. Do not think you are out of options by enrolling in a clinical trial,” he said. “Modern medicine is always striving. Oncology is a broad field and progress is being made. Cancer one day will become a chronic controlled disease.” ∞

On our cover (photo): Brecksville resident Matt Hiznay, pictured with his wife, Ally, was shocked to discover as a nonsmoker that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He was even more taken back to learn he had a gene mutation found in just 4% of patients that made his odds of recovery around 1%. Photo submitted.

After being diagnosed with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer, Brecksville resident Matt hiznay had just a 1% chance of surviving the next five years. He is pictured with his physician, Dr. Nate Pennell, at the Cleveland Clinic. Photo submitted.