Erika Hlavacek passed away on April 27, 2022 from complications caused by Stage IV lung cancer. She was 47.
Erika was a board member at ALK Positive Inc., served on multiple committees for industry groups and founded two nonprofits. You can read about yEAHbestlife below. In 2021, she became a founding parent and founding board member of Pickles Group, which benefits children of parents with cancer through peer support groups.
July 2020
In 2017, Erika Hlavacek went to the hospital after a persistent cough and back pain became unbearable. She was discharged 10 days later with a Stage IV lung cancer diagnosis.
But thanks to research, she’s living her best life. After the cancer spread to her brain, she was treated with medications that had been approved less than a year before she needed them. Two drugs and three weeks later, the brain tumors were gone.
Erika has founded a brand and nonprofit dedicated to fundraising for lung cancer research. According to the yEAHbestlife website, she was surprised during a girls’ weekend with matching shirts that said “Best Life” on them. This inspired her to design a “Live Your Best Life” themed shirt for an upcoming event. The design was so well-received that she saw potential in using shirt sales as an avenue for raising awareness and funds. The name “yEAHbestlife” includes Erika’s initials: EAH.
Her story was featured on NBC 5 Chicago, highlighting recent FDA approvals for lung cancer treatment.
July 2020 | As told by Lea
I always considered myself healthy. I used to have asthma, but I considered it a non-issue since it is under control – I haven’t had asthma attacks or symptoms in years.
In the summer of 2018, my husband and I went on vacation, and when we returned I noticed I developed a terrible cough. It wouldn’t stop for three weeks straight, and I even noticed a little tinge of blood came out when I coughed. It really concerned me.
Not too long after, I hosted some family members at my house. My brother-in-law is a doctor and my daughter is a nurse. When I told them how I have been feeling, they both were very concerned and made me promise to visit my doctor for a checkup. I made an appointment with my primary care provider, who ordered a chest X-ray.
The X-ray revealed a tumor on my right lung. I turned to my brother-in-law for advice, and he recommended that I have a bronchoscopy and other testing to get an understanding of what this tumor was. After several tests, I found out the tumor had spread to the upper, mid, and lower lobe of my right lung; and I also had a few small nodules. When I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic lung cancer in August 2018, it was completely overwhelming and I felt so lost.
The oncologist sent the tissue for biomarker testing, and it turned out that I have the EGFR mutation. I am so grateful for biomarker testing because it helped open up more treatment options that have turned out to be right for me. My oncologist decided the best treatment for my case was a targeted therapy – Tagrisso – to treat patients with the EGFR mutation.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure how to feel about undergoing further lung cancer treatment after my surgery. I really had to think about what that meant for me. So what I did was looked online – I read so many articles and informational materials on what to expect. After educating myself about Tagrisso and other lung cancer treatment options, I felt confident that I was doing the right thing for my health. I also had my faith to keep me strong throughout my journey. I’ve been on Tagrisso since October 2018.
My first CT scan after beginning treatment was in December 2018. The scan showed that my remaining nodules had shrunk in half! Since then, I haven’t experienced any major side effects or even symptoms of lung cancer since my very first difficult cough, right before I got diagnosed. I have my fifth scan coming up in August, and I have nothing but great expectations that it will go well!
I found LCRF through the #TogetherSeparately Facebook group, and I’ve enjoyed being part of this wonderful community where I can connect with other lung cancer patients and survivors. It is my new mission to share my story with others who are on the same journey. I know how overwhelming it can be to have lung cancer, but I urge every new patient to keep talking to your doctor and learn as much as you can about treatment options.
I also advocate for earlier screening and detection of lung cancer, and I’m happy to see the new recommendations for expanding the population who should be screened. I have joined a patient advocacy group called the EGFR Resistors. I hope my story is helpful to those who are reading it, and I am happy to chat with any patients. Please join the Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/lungcancercommunity and say hello!
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has drafted recommendations that would expand yearly lung cancer screening.
The draft guidelines would lower the eligibility age for lung cancer screening from 55 to 50. Lighter smokers could obtain screening as well. If the guidelines go through, the number of people who qualify for screening will nearly double.
A newer study found that these groups are about as likely to benefit from screening as older people who smoke heavily.
The changes would benefit women and African Americans in particular, according to experts. See detailed coverage at NBC News and the Los Angeles Times.
In 2017, Erika Hlavacek went to the hospital after a persistent cough and back pain became unbearable. She was discharged 10 days later with a Stage IV lung cancer diagnosis.
But thanks to research, she’s living her best life. After the cancer spread to her brain, she was treated with medications that had been approved less than a year before she needed them. Two drugs and three weeks later, the brain tumors were gone.
Erika has founded a brand and nonprofit dedicated to fundraising for lung cancer research. According to the yEAHbestlife website, she was surprised during a girls’ weekend with matching shirts that said “Best Life” on them. This inspired her to design a “Live Your Best Life” themed shirt for an upcoming event. The design was so well-received that she saw potential in using shirt sales as an avenue for raising awareness and funds. The name “yEAHbestlife” includes Erika’s initials: EAH.
Her story was featured recently on NBC 5 Chicago, highlighting recent FDA approvals for lung cancer treatment.
Research is changing what it means to receive a lung cancer diagnosis. Find out how supporting research has impacted how this disease is treated, and read other patients’ stories.
LCRF Scientific Advisory Board member Dr. Roy Herbst discussed new research in lung cancer recently on Bloom, Tampa Bay WFLA’s daily 1-hour show focusing on health and lifestyle. Watch below.
COVID-19 presents special challenges for physicians who treat lung cancer patients. Julie Brahmer, MD, spoke with Healio recently about what physicians need to know about lung cancer care during the pandemic.
Dr. Brahmer is a member of LCRF’s Scientific Advisory Board and Professor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Despite the current public health crisis, Dr. Brahmer sees hope for the future.
“Over the past couple of months, we’ve had even more options for treatment for lung cancer approved by the FDA and that continues to give us great hope for improving survival and improving their quality of life when diagnosed with lung cancer,” she said.
Watch this week’s update from LCRF Executive Director Dennis Chillemi.
