'Inoperable' lung cancer to non-existent: The role genetic sequencing plays in treating tumors

BURBANK, Calif. (KABC) -- Cancer is not a welcome diagnosis, but breakthroughs in genetic sequencing and immunotherapy are making some cancers easier to treat than others.

A local father and grandfather was told he had inoperable lung cancer, but six months later, it was in remission. The retired animator said it's the kind of ending you might find in the world of Hollywood.

Neal Warner lived a magical life in animation with many well-known cartoon classics to his credit.

"My aunt was an animator, and she drafted me into the business," he said.

But life as Warner knew it changed when an MRI showed something he couldn't believe.

He had never smoked a cigarette in his life, but an MRI discovered a spot on his lung.

A biopsy revealed it was non-small cell lung cancer. And the news got worse. The cancer had spread to two lymph nodes.

"It's beyond being operated on. It's called stage three. Basically, all we can do is give you chemotherapy and radiation," said Warner of his options. It was conventional treatment that offered no guarantees.

But, like one of his animated stories, there was a plot twist. Warner got a second opinion at Providence Saint Joseph Disney Family Cancer Center, and his doctor gave him some incredible news.

"'Oh, you have an ALK plus marker on your chromosome. Yeah, OK. Well, we have a pill for that now,'" he said.

Genetic sequencing revealed the tumor had a rare ALK, or anaplastic lymphoma kinase genetic mutation. It likely led to Warner getting non-small cell lung cancer, but the finding would also save him.

"The ALK thing is really very interesting. And what's great about it is that it makes it so treatable," said Thoracic surgeon Dr. Richard Gillespie with the Providence Saint Joseph Disney Family Cancer Center.

It's treatable with a targeted cancer drug called Alectinib -- an exact match for this ALK mutation, four pills taken twice a day.

While researchers have only been able to identify and match a handful of tumor mutations to specific treatments, Dr. Gillespie expects more will come.

"The more that people understand how cells divide, the more they understand how cancer happens and come up with actual novel treatments for it. So it's a changing landscape for sure," Gillespie said.

It's a happy ending you'd find on one of Warner's animated storyboards. His cancer went from "inoperable" to non-existent.

"It's been unbelievable. Unbelievable," Warner said.

How would a cancer patient know if they have a genetic mutation? Gillespie said a technique called "next generation" sequencing is now a routine part of a patient's workup. The goal is to look for a genetic match to existing immunotherapy drugs. It rarely happens, but doctors say it's exciting when it does.