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Bike Crash Leads to Cancer Scare, Then Diagnosis
10 Jan
Summary
- A bike crash revealed masses in lungs, initially suspected as aggressive cancer.
- A rare immune condition, IgG4-RD, was finally diagnosed after a year-long search.
- A new FDA-approved treatment offers hope for remission of IgG4-RD.
A severe mountain bike accident in June 2020 led Andy Provencher to an emergency room, where scans revealed alarming masses in his lungs. Initially suspected to be aggressive lung cancer, this discovery launched a year-long, frustrating diagnostic journey. Provencher consulted numerous specialists, but tests and biopsies remained inconclusive, leaving him and his family in a state of profound uncertainty.
His condition worsened, with increasing pain and energy loss. A breakthrough occurred when a physician's assistant recognized Provencher's symptoms as potentially belonging to IgG4-RD, a rare immune condition. This led him to Dr. John Stone, an expert in IgG4-RD, who finally provided a definitive diagnosis and a treatment plan, alleviating the family's immense stress.
Provencher then participated in a clinical trial for inebilizumab, a medication targeting B cells, which ultimately became the first FDA-approved treatment for IgG4-RD in April 2025. While the disease can go into remission, it has no permanent cure. Provencher continues to take inebilizumab, experiencing significant improvement and hoping to prevent further progression.
