Support for Andrew Bettinger’s rare cancer

My brother, Andrew Bettinger, is a loving husband (Shannon Bettinger) and father to 2 small children (Jase-6, Raelynn-3). He is the main "breadmaker" of his family. He has worked 14 years as an automotive painter. In February (2020) Andrew noticed a lump on his face which was followed by excruciating pain in his lower back and pelvis, after multiple urgent cares, emergency room and doctor visits Andrew was diagnosed with NUT Carcinoma. He spent a week in the hospital until they found a way to manage his pain. He is a patient with Upstate Cancer Institute, they had his labs/biopsies sent to Sloan Kettering for further diagnostics to determine it was indeed NUT carcinoma. He has also had 2nd opinions from Roswell in Buffalo and Dana Farber in Boston. He was being treated with Keytruda as all the doctors had agreed upon and it was helping him tremendously until health insurance denied it stating it was not "medically necessary" as keytruda was not for his rare cancer. As they fight insurance to get this approved and we wait for more testing, Dana Farber Instute is looking for trial studies to best fit his needs. Andrew is currently out of work as his doctors stress that he can not work with his conditions and medications. We would like to raise money to help with everyday needs for his family including household bills and also gas/hotel/travel fees if this results in traveling to Boston for a trial at the Dana Farber Institute. If necessary they will also have to pay out of pocket for Keytruda if the insurance does not cover it. Every penny helps. Below is more information on Nut Carcinoma from the Dana Farber Institute of health.

NUT carcinoma, formerly known as NUT-midline carcinoma (NMC), is a rare and very aggressive form of cancer that can form anywhere in the body, but often forms along the midline structures (head, neck, or lungs).

We do not know for certain what causes the NUT fusion oncogene to form. It does not currently appear to be linked to any environmental exposures, such as an infection or contact with a chemical or toxin. NUT carcinoma is also not hereditary, meaning it is not passed down in families. The development of NUT carcinoma seems to be a random, unprovoked event.

NUT carcinoma is an undifferentiated or poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, meaning the cancer begins in squamous cells in the body. Squamous cells normally line hollow organs in the body, such as the respiratory tract. It is defined by a specific genetic mutation known as a fusion oncogene. A fusion gene is made by joining parts of two different genes together. In the case of NUT carcinoma, the NUT gene is joined to another gene (usually BRD4, but in some cases BRD3, NSD3, or other genes). This gene fusion causes the abnormal uncontrolled squamous cell growth.