Lung Cancer With a Kidney Metastasis Treated by Cryoablation

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

Metastatic Site: left kidney

The renal metastasis was treated with CT-guided cryoablation.

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Lobular Breast Cancer Spreading to an Eye Muscle

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: Hormone receptor-positive; HER2-negative; E-cadherin-negative; CK7-positive

Metastatic Site: bones|left superior oblique eye muscle

The eye-muscle metastasis entered complete local remission, while bone disease was stable after 6 months of weekly paclitaxel and denosumab.

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Ovarian Cancer With Pleural Spread and Recurrent Dermatomyositis

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Metastatic Site: pleura

She had symptomatic improvement after 2 cycles of carboplatin and liposomal doxorubicin for recurrent disease.

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Colon Cancer Spreading to the External Ear Canal

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Metastatic Site: right external auditory canal

A man previously treated for node-positive colon cancer developed a bleeding ear-canal mass that represented a rare colorectal metastasis.

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Recurrent Breast Cancer Initially Mistaken for Organising Pneumonia

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive and GATA3-positive atypical pleural-fluid cells

Metastatic Site: lungs

After 12 months of first-line hormone therapy for metastatic recurrence, she had significant clinical and radiological improvement and remained on treatment.

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Rectal Cancer Spreading to the Thyroid and Bones

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 40s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: CEA 2.75 ng/mL at diagnosis

Metastatic Site: thyroid|bones

His metastatic disease worsened after 3 cycles of bevacizumab and capecitabine. He declined further treatment and died at home within 2 months.

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Colon Cancer With Lung Metastasis Alongside a Separate Thyroid Cancer

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

Biomarkers: Rising CEA

Metastatic Site: lungs

A 64-year-old woman had colon cancer involving the lungs while a separate follicular-variant thyroid cancer involved the kidney.

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Lung Cancer: Diego's Patient Story

Patient Info: Diego, Male | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Metastatic Site: Hip / left iliac region pain treated with radiotherapy

On 27 March 2017, Diego was recovering from hospitalization and radiotherapy for severe hip/left iliac-region pain, with pain improved and pemetrexed chemotherapy planned after his next oncology visit.

Lung cancer progression with T790M-positive tissue result and AZD9291 trial start

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: resistance detected in tissue biopsy

On 5 June 2016, CT showed lung tumor progression after afatinib, but a tissue T790M result allowed entry into an AZD9291 clinical trial and treatment had just started.

Lung cancer progression on afatinib with T790M testing for AZD9291 trial eligibility

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: resistance testing pending

On 14 April 2016, CT showed the right upper-lobe lung tumor had grown despite afatinib/Giotrif, prompting T790M testing and discussion of AZD9291 trial eligibility or radiotherapy.

Lung cancer with acquired T790M resistance: erlotinib switched to afatinib while AZD9291/TAGRISSO trial was considered

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: Acquired resistance detected; other resistance findings also mentioned

As of January 2016, he had reached 2 years of survival but had confirmed acquired resistance including T790M, worsening symptoms, and a treatment change from erlotinib to afatinib while a TAGRISSO/AZD9291 trial was being considered.

Lung cancer progression on Tarceva with urgent T790M resistance testing planned

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: resistance suspected; bronchoscopy planned to test for it

As of January 2016, CT showed clear progression while he was taking Tarceva/erlotinib, so urgent bronchoscopy was planned to look for T790M resistance and guide the next treatment option.

Lorita: Sandra Sankar Poukkula

Patient Info: Sandra Sankar Poukkula, Female, Under 40 | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

The cancer later spread to other parts of her body, and she died on January 13, 2012, at age 39.

My Road To Awareness

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Jessica’s mother died in January 2005 after about 5 months of advanced stomach cancer, surgery, postoperative complications, and rapid progression.

Recurrent HER2-amplified breast cancer: complete remission on trastuzumab-based therapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: Primary tumor was ER/PR negative and HER2 not amplified. Recurrent lymph-node disease became ER/PR positive and HER2 amplified by FISH.

Metastatic Site: left axillary and infraclavicular lymph nodes

After HER2-amplified nodal recurrence, paclitaxel plus trastuzumab produced complete clinical remission; she continued trastuzumab monotherapy with tolerable neuropathy.

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