The shocking story of the couple from Ashkelon, revealed in Israel Hayom, continues to resonate \u2013 and puts one of the innovative treatments for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients back in the spotlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In less than two years, two couples from Ashkelon found themselves both battling lung cancer. First, Nissim's wife Raisa was diagnosed in early 2023 with a particularly aggressive disease - small cell lung cancer (SCLC). To her astonishment, in October 2025, almost two years later, it turned out that her husband Nissim also had lung cancer, a different type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SCLC accounts for approximately 101-151% of lung cancer cases and is considered a particularly aggressive subtype, with a rapid rate of progression, a tendency to metastasize, and a five-year survival rate of only 51-101%. The main risk factor for the disease is smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a conversation Raisa had with Israel Hayom, she recalls the moment of the news: "When they informed me, I felt like the air was simply leaving my lungs. I quickly realized that this was not another medical diagnosis, but a fatal disease that did not leave much time. The fear was immense - of the unknown and the possibility that life as I knew it was about to end.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The disease was already in an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. She underwent chemotherapy combined with biological-immunotherapy and achieved a good initial response, but her condition subsequently deteriorated again - a common scenario with this disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""I found myself dealing not only with difficult treatments and a weakening body, but also with constant anxiety and thoughts about time and the future," she says. "For the first time in my life, I had to give up the image of the strong woman who always holds everyone together, and let miracles be my rock.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In October 2024, she began receiving the biological treatment with a new technology that recruits the patient's immune system to fight the tumor. Clinical studies have found that the drug causes significant tumor shrinkage in some patients and extends overall survival and the time without progression of the disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""Since I started treatment with Imidlatra, things have changed," she describes. "Today I live almost as normal. Without significant side effects, without pain, with a full routine, grandchildren and family. The tests show that the disease is in remission, and I allow myself, carefully, to breathe and believe.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But exactly a year later, in October 2025, reality turned upside down once again. A car accident that initially seemed minor led to tests that eventually diagnosed Nisim with lung cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""The moment I realized that the person who had been my support was now facing the same illness was unbearable," she says. "This time I wasn't just sick - I was also the one who had to be strong for him. But it was precisely out of the brokenness that we discovered the power of togetherness. We walk hand in hand, strengthening each other. The knowledge that we are not alone is the strength that sustains us and allows us not only to survive, but to continue living.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""Today I live almost as usual. Without significant side effects, without pain, with a full routine, grandchildren and family.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Mor Moskowitz, director of the lung tumor service at the Davidoff Cancer Center at Beilinson Hospital, explains that she met Raisa at a stage when her disease was already in an advanced stage, after several lines of treatment. "In small cell cancer, the initial response to treatment can be good, but it is usually limited in time, and later the disease progresses and the options are reduced," she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to her, upon starting the innovative treatment, an extraordinary response was observed: "We saw a significant regression of the disease in all foci, to the point where today we do not detect evidence of active disease. These are results that we have hardly seen in the past in this disease." However, she emphasizes that this is not a treatment suitable for every patient, but for some it allows "significant life extension along with a good quality of life.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The treatment was not included in the latest drug basket, and now many patients and their families are looking forward in the hope that in the future they too will be given the opportunity to receive it.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u05e1\u05d9\u05e4\u05d5\u05e8\u05dd \u05d4\u05de\u05d8\u05dc\u05d8\u05dc \u05e9\u05dc \u05d1\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d4\u05d6\u05d5\u05d2 \u05de\u05d0\u05e9\u05e7\u05dc\u05d5\u05df, \u05e9\u05e0\u05d7\u05e9\u05e3 \u05d1'\u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc \u05d4\u05d9\u05d5\u05dd', \u05de\u05de\u05e9\u05d9\u05da \u05dc\u05e2\u05d5\u05e8\u05e8 \u05d4\u05d3\u05d9\u05dd \u2013 \u05d5\u05de\u05e6\u05d9\u05d1 \u05de\u05d7\u05d3\u05e9 \u05d1\u05de\u05d5\u05e7\u05d3 \u05d0\u05ea \u05d0\u05d7\u05d3 \u05d4\u05d8\u05d9\u05e4\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05d7\u05d3\u05e9\u05e0\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05e2\u05d1\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d7\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9 \u05e1\u05e8\u05d8\u05df \u05e8\u05d9\u05d0\u05d4 \u05de\u05e1\u05d5\u05d2 \u05ea\u05d0\u05d9\u05dd \u05e7\u05d8\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd (SCLC) \u05d1\u05ea\u05d5\u05da \u05e4\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea \u05de\u05e9\u05e0\u05ea\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd, \u05de\u05e6\u05d0\u05d5 \u05e2\u05e6\u05de\u05dd \u05e9\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d1\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d6\u05d5\u05d2 \u05de\u05d0\u05e9\u05e7\u05dc\u05d5\u05df \u05e0\u05d0\u05d1\u05e7\u05d9\u05dd \u05e9\u05e0\u05d9\u05d4\u05dd \u05d1\u05e1\u05e8\u05d8\u05df \u05e8\u05d9\u05d0\u05d4. \u05ea\u05d7\u05d9\u05dc\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d5\u05d1\u05d7\u05e0\u05d4 \u05e8\u05d0\u05d9\u05e1\u05d4 \u05d0\u05e9\u05ea\u05d5 \u05e9\u05dc \u05e0\u05d9\u05e1\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05ea\u05d7\u05d9\u05dc\u05ea 2023 \u05d1\u05de\u05d7\u05dc\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d2\u05e8\u05e1\u05d9\u05d1\u05d9\u05ea \u05d1\u05de\u05d9\u05d5\u05d7\u05d3 - \u05e1\u05e8\u05d8\u05df \u05e8\u05d9\u05d0\u05d4 […]","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":1050249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40304],"tags":[65083,65084],"class_list":["post-1050248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-40304","tag-65083","tag-65084"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n