Precision medicine gives Illinois man more time to play on the stage, in the vines

After retiring from a long career in child welfare, John Chase was diagnosed with stage 3B non-small cell lung cancer just a year into retirement. Treated at UW Health | Carbone Cancer Center Rockford, he underwent radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, which initially helped slow the disease. When the cancer progressed, genetic testing revealed an ALK gene mutation, allowing Chase to begin a targeted oral therapy that has successfully managed his condition. Now 65, he continues to act in local theater, tend to his vineyard and spend meaningful time with his children and grandchildren.