"Street Outlaws" reality TV star and race car driver Mike Murillo is currently undergoing treatment for stage 4 lung cancer.
He is one of two stars of the show facing stage 4 cancer, as driver Lizzy Musi recently revealed she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer after doctors dismissed a lump in her breast.
Doctors were initially considering putting Murillo on a clinical trial drug, but they eventually decided to get him on an FDA-approved targeted therapy drug called entrectinib, sold under the brand name Rozlytrek.
Lung cancer researchers have successfully produced many non-small cell lung cancer targeted drugs that are specific for changes in genes and proteins found within cancer cells. Rozlytrek is one such drug.
The drug, unfortunately, caused him to gain some weight, but he has prioritized his well-being and has since lost 60 pounds.
After “Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings” star Lizzy Musi revealed last month she was battling stage 4 breast cancer, fans flooded her social media with encouragement and support. But did you know she’s not the only race car driver on the show fighting stage 4 cancer?
Mike Murillo was diagnosed with stage 4, or metastatic, lung cancer in 2022. And he said he has lost 60 pounds through treatment after gaining weight due to a medication, going from 321 pounds to 261.
Murillo is also a racer on Discovery Channel's "Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings." With the 2023 season set to kick off on June 2-3 at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Ohio, the racing veteran has his eyes set on the prize.
But this year, he has his health to worry about, too. Thankfully, a recent update from his Instagram show’s he’s taking necessary steps to prioritize his well-being.
“Here for last ‘Bone Infusion’ and lab work up before season starts,” he wrote in his caption. “I'm officially down 60lbs 🙅ðŸ½â€â™‚ï¸(321 to 261) as of today!
“I'm so ready to burn ‘rubber’ (not carbon fiber) and hear 👂 beautiful 😠turbo noises 🤗. We are very close. Everything health wise is going as planned 🙌ðŸ½and I feel great 😊. Thank you once again for EVERYONEs continued prayers and support. We love â¤ï¸ y'all.”
It’s great to see Murillo keeping such a positive attitude through his treatment and staying focused on future races.
Mike Murillo’s Lung Cancer Journey
Mike Murillo’s first sign of cancer came in June 2022 when he started feeling sick. He had struggled with an intense COVID-19 battle in January 2021, so he was worried he might have COVID again.
Then, on June 21, he started to spit “a lot” of blood. After feeling “absolutely horrible” at his next race, he decided to eventually go to the emergency room.
“I haven’t felt this bad ever, since covid,” he said in a Feb 28, 2023, YouTube video.
“While at the emergency room, I was diagnosed with an enlarged heart meaning what was happening was my heart was so big that it was rubbing up against my left lung which was causing the bleeding so, not good.”
On July 22, Murillo had a CAT scan revealing a mass on his lung.
“This is interesting because they said the mass on my lung was big enough that it absolutely had to be there during Covid,” he said. “So, they were able to get my Covid pics and look at them, and, sure enough, there was a mass on my lung.
Murillo promptly underwent a procedure called a pericardial window to get rid of some of the fluid built up on his heart. The surgery is done on the sac around the heart to remove a small part of the sac which allows doctors to drain excess fluid from the sac, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
But with ongoing races in between appointments, it wasn’t until Aug. 15 that he finally received his official diagnosis.
“So, August 15 was the date that we’d never wish on our worst enemies,” he said. “I was diagnosed with stage four 4 cancer. It’s a non-small cell lung cancer, there’s a mass not only on my lungs, but on my lymph nodes and my spine.
“But it’s something that either you fight or you flight. And, you know, after maybe 24 hours of pouting, I decided that I’m gonna fight this.”
Doctors were initially considering putting Murillo on a clinical trial drug, but they eventually decided to get him on an FDA-approved targeted therapy drug called entrectinib, sold under the brand name Rozlytrek.
Lung cancer researchers have successfully produced many non-small cell lung cancer targeted drugs that are specific for changes in genes and proteins found within cancer cells. Rozlytrek is one such drug.
In addition, Murillo’s doctors scheduled him for ten small doses of radiation for the tumor on his spine.
The drug, unfortunately, caused him to gain some weight. But doctors do say the medication has been effective in treating his cancer.
“They saw crazy progress on the medicine working on my mass, on my cancer,” he said. “But at the same time, that doesn’t help with how fat I’m getting.”
The Rozlytrek website does list weight gain as a common side effect of the medication. Patients are encouraged to discuss any concerning symptoms with their doctor, who can help with managing the side effects.
He started to focus on healthy eating and lost a lot of weight in order to combat the side effect. And, thankfully, his cancer progress has been good up to this point.
“Fast forward to this day, folks, my cancer is in partial remission, is what they call it,” he said in February. “All my tumors have shrunk over 50% and declining, and I want to quote what the doctor said… ‘The disease is on the run, and we are on its heals.’ That was just music to my ears and my family.”
Another “Street Outlaws” Star Battles Cancer
Lizzy Musi is yet another race car driver on "Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings" facing stage 4 cancer. She recently shared her life-changing news via Instagram.
"A few days ago I have been diagnosed with Triple Negative Stage 4 Breast Cancer that has moved to my lymph nodes to my liver,” she wrote on April 21, 2023. "I have a rough journey ahead of me. I appreciate everyone's messages and calls."
In a YouTube video, Musi explained that her cancer journey began when she found "a marble-sized lump" in her breast. Although her doctors did not seem too concerned about the lump at first, she decided to make another appointment when it grew to the size of a Cutie's brand clementine just a month later.
That’s when she got her triple negative breast cancer diagnosis.
"I kinda felt numb, I didn't know how really to act," she said of first hearing her aggressive diagnosis. "I was in disbelief, honestly.
"I didn't cry which is weird."
After more scans, doctors discovered the extent of Musi’s cancer and told her it was metastatic, or stage four.
"That was the day that I actually finally broke down," she said.
She recently began chemotherapy treatments, and radiation may follow. As she takes her cancer journey day by day, she’s focused on healing while also “kick[ing] some a**” in her race car driving career.
