PD-L1 Positive: 26 Real Stories

26 stories match PD-L1 positive. 24 of them mention immunotherapy.

Cancer Stories

A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage II Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IIA triple-negative neuroendocrine breast carcinoma with chemoimmunotherapy response

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+ | Stage II

Biomarkers: Triple-negative neuroendocrine breast carcinoma with PD-L1 CPS >=10, and reported germline BRCA1/2 mutation.

As of March 2025, 12 months after surgery, follow-up imaging and tumor-marker testing showed no local recurrence or distant metastasis, and she remained in good general condition.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Recurrent squamous lung cancer with tumor emboli, acute limb ischemia, brain metastases, and death

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: p40-positive; TTF-1-negative; PD-L1 not expressed / no PD-L1 reported in raw case

Metastatic Site: brain/cerebral metastases; tumor emboli in upper and…

The patient developed recurrent acute limb ischemia from tumor emboli, then new cerebral metastases, and died from advanced disease 7 months after the bilateral lower-limb ischemia presentation.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
Caitlin, who was diagnosed with Stage II Ovarian Squamous Cell CarcinomaOvarian Cancer

Stage II Ovarian Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Caitlin's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Caitlin Koehler, female, Under 40 | Stage II

Biomarkers: PD-L1: high expression

After surgery for recurrence, Caitlin remained on maintenance therapy and her follow-up scans showed no evidence of disease.

MD Anderson
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

ALK-rearranged Stage IVA lung adenocarcinoma: partial response to pembrolizumab as eighth-line treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 70+ | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK strongly positive by IHC 3+; ALK rearrangement confirmed by FISH; PD-L1 expression 95% by 22C3 immunostaining; CEA 2.3 ng/mL at diagnosis

Metastatic Site: brain

Nine months after pembrolizumab was started as eighth-line therapy, he maintained a partial response after prior progression on multiple ALK inhibitors and chemotherapies.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IIIA squamous lung cancer with pathologic complete response after immunochemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s | Stage III

Biomarkers: PD-L1 TPS 90%; PD-L1 CPS 100%; EGFR p.G719S 24.9%; EGFR p.S768I 24.6%; TP53 p.S183* 7.2%; TMB 0.0 Muts/Mb

Systematic imaging in March 2025 showed no recurrence or metastasis, with postoperative disease-free survival longer than 30 months and overall survival longer than 34 months.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage I Pleomorphic Lung Cancer Recurring With Bone Metastasis Within Five Months

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: PD-L1 high; no detected driver mutation

Metastatic Site: bone

PET-CT in December 2024 showed a partial response. As of February 2025, he remained on sintilimab and bevacizumab maintenance with about 9 months of progression-free survival after recurrence treatment.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
Maggie, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Maggie's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Maggie, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: lungs, lymph nodes; possible liver

Diagnosed in 2022 with de novo Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer involving the lungs and lymph nodes, with possible liver involvement. After entering a chemotherapy/immunotherapy clinical trial, she reported being cancer-free / no evidence of disease for well over 1 year as of February 2025.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage II Lung Squamous Cell CarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage IIB squamous cell lung cancer: pathological complete response after chemo-immunotherapy and surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s | Stage II

Biomarkers: PD-L1 >85%; P40-positive; TTF-1-negative; CEA 1.2 ng/mL; cytokeratin 19 fragments 1.7 ng/mL; pro-gastrin-releasing peptide 54 pg/mL

No recurrence for 1 year and 7 months without further treatment after transbronchoscopic resection, pembrolizumab-based chemoimmunotherapy, pneumonitis management, and sleeve resection showing pathological complete response.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage 4 lung cancer: stable disease on immunotherapy combination

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: TP53, and MSH2 mutations; PD-L1 locally positive; Ki-67 20%; ALK negative. Markers otherwise supported lung cancer.

Metastatic Site: left atrium, right adrenal gland, skull; hilar and…

Stage IVB NSCLC remained clinically stable during carboplatin, pemetrexed, and tislelizumab, but treatment was stopped because of financial and psychological burden; later cancer status was not reported.

PubMed Central
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage IIIA EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma: surgery after osimertinib

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s

Biomarkers: EGFR E746_A750 deletion; PD-L1 TPS 15%; TMB 5.01 Muts/Mb; TTF-1 3+; CK7 3+; Ki67 60%

As of July 2024, surveillance CT scans at 2, 6, and 12 months after surgery showed no recurrent malignancy while he continued adjuvant osimertinib.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Lenny, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Lenny's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Lenny, Male, 50s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: PD-L1 expression positive

Metastatic Site: right femur; brain/cerebellum

As of July 2024, Lenny described himself as NED/no evidence of disease after surgery, CyberKnife radiation, chemotherapy, and Keytruda-based immunotherapy.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Tim, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Tim's Patient Story

Patient Info: Tim Monds, Male, 50s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: High PD-L1 expression

Metastatic Site: Other lung lobes / lung nodules

As of March 2024, Tim Monds was identified as a Stage IV lung cancer survivor involved in discussion of the PaCES early palliative-care project and broader lung cancer advocacy.

Lung Cancer Voices
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Lung CancerLung Cancer

Immunotherapy and surgery for adenosquamous lung cancer with brain metastases

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: PD-L1 positive; no actionable mutations on next-generation sequencing.

After chemotherapy, 19 cycles of pembrolizumab, and right middle lobectomy, she was off immunotherapy and under observation in remission.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Lung CancerLung Cancer

Strong Response to Pembrolizumab-Based Therapy for Pleomorphic Lung Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s | Stage III

Biomarkers: EGFR-negative; ALK-negative; ROS1-negative; PD-L1 TPS 90%-100%.

A marked response followed four combination cycles, and maintenance pembrolizumab remained ongoing seven months after treatment began.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

Pembrolizumab Controlled Metastatic Pleomorphic Lung Cancer After Chemotherapy Failed

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR-negative; ALK-negative; ROS1-negative; BRAF-negative; PD-L1 TPS 60%-70%; BRCA2, and TP53 mutations; tumor mutation burden 42 mutations/Mb; no actionable alteration.

Metastatic Site: right adrenal gland; left adrenal gland; bone

Tumor diameter had decreased at 11 months, and pembrolizumab remained ongoing at 12 months.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Lung Squamous Cell CarcinomaLung Cancer

Lung Cancer Metastases to Both Kidneys Causing Kidney Failure

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 50s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: PD-L1 highly expressed

Metastatic Site: brain|bilateral kidneys|lungs

The cancer progressed in both kidneys and lungs despite treatment, causing dialysis-dependent kidney failure. He later developed severe respiratory illness and died 5 days after readmission.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

Pleomorphic Lung Cancer Progressed Despite Pembrolizumab

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 70+ | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR-negative; ALK-negative; ROS1-negative; PD-L1 TPS 80%-90%.

Metastatic Site: small intestine; pleura; abdominal subcutaneous tissue

The cancer did not respond to pembrolizumab, and he died four months after immunotherapy began.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Lung cancer remission after pembrolizumab despite severe inflammatory arthritis

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 50s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: PD-L1-positive.

Metastatic Site: brain (temporal and parietal lobes)

The lung adenocarcinoma remained in complete remission 28 months after diagnosis, while the treatment-related arthritis also reached sustained remission and he returned to work and exercise.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED