Patient Testimonials - Catherine

In January 2022, when I was 67 years old, I started having back pain and trouble breathing. So I went to the emergency room in Dourdan, where they found fluid in my lungs. I was transferred to Longjumeau Hospital, which had a pulmonary medicine department. There, I received some treatment, including a thoracentesis to drain the fluid from my lungs and a biopsy because I had swollen lymph nodes all over my body.

The biopsy showed that I had pulmonary lymphoma.

I then began chemotherapy at Longjumeau Hospital, after which I asked to be transferred to Gustave Roussy, where I continued my chemotherapy regimen and received lumbar punctures. I was hospitalized there, and after a few weeks, I was discharged because I was feeling better.

A few months later, I had a terrible headache; I couldn’t stand up, and I was vomiting. My daughter, who is a nurse, called Gustave Roussy. In August 2022, I underwent a brain biopsy. I then had emergency surgery for a head infection at Sainte Anne Hospital.

I began a course of chemotherapy at Gustave Roussy, combined with cervical MRIs at each session. I remained hospitalized, and after a while, Dr. Bigenwald told me that the chemotherapy hadn’t been able to remove everything, that I had brain metastases, and that palliative care was being considered.

At the time, the news was so shocking that we didn’t know what to say; I was speechless.

A few days later, Dr. Bigenwald called me back to tell me she had a new experimental treatment: CAR T-cell therapy. She explained the risks and asked if I was willing to consider this treatment protocol. At that point, I had nothing left to lose, so I figured I might as well give it a try. I was the second person to receive this therapy for cerebral lymphoma at Gustave Roussy.

So I was admitted to the hospital in October 2022; they drew a lot of blood from me, sent it to the lab for genetic modification of the T cells, and three weeks later, they reinfused the modified cells back into my bloodstream. I was doing okay at first, but then I spent three days in a coma. I fought the cancer, and I made it through. I remained hospitalized until early January 2023, when I left Gustave Roussy to begin physical therapy to regain my ability to walk at Bligny Hospital, where I stayed until February 2023.

Since then, I’ve started walking again, going to the pool, and riding a bike.

In November 2023, I wasn’t feeling well; I developed a lung infection, pneumonia. Since the CAR T-cell therapy, my immune system has been compromised—I catch every bug going, and it keeps getting worse. I was hospitalized at Gustave Roussy for three weeks.

For now, I’m symptom-free—I’m in remission. I come in once a quarter for a checkup.

I’m a miracle survivor—I say that today with a sense of humor, but I’ve come back to life. When my little girl tells me she won her soccer game, I tell her that I, too, have won.

I received excellent care at Gustave Roussy and from Dr. Bigenwald; I feel lucky to have had this treatment. What are the risks of CAR T-cell therapy? They include seizures, coma, and sometimes death—but when you’re at the point I was at, you’re willing to try anything.

I was surrounded by wonderful support throughout my journey—from my husband, my three children, and my five grandchildren. I’m very grateful to Gustave Roussy; Dr. Bigenwald was always there for me.
We’re fortunate to be in France, where healthcare is free, to have hospitals like the ones I benefited from in the Paris region, and to have a center like Gustave Roussy. It’s good for people to give when they’re fortunate enough to be in good health, because as long as we’re not facing death, we don’t think about it enough.