Stage III HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Katie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Katie, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative; genetic testing negative

As of February 2025, Katie was a few months beyond active treatment for Stage III ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative ILC and was adjusting to maintenance therapy with Verzenio, Lupron, and Letrozole.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Katie's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Katie, Female | Stage III

As of February 2025, Katie had no evidence of disease after surgery and 6 cycles of chemotherapy and was continuing reassuring follow-up, including ctDNA testing.

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Stage III Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Katie's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Katie, Female | Stage III

Katie completed surgery and chemotherapy for Stage IIIB transverse colon adenocarcinoma. Her ctDNA tests have been negative since surgery, scans have been clean, and treatment ended in summer 2023; as of February 2025, she was in survivorship and follow-up.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Edie's Survivor Story

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

After total neoadjuvant treatment, lower anterior resection, and ileostomy reversal, Edie reported clear scans/colonoscopies and described herself as a colon cancer survivor. As of February 2025, she remained in survivorship.

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Stage III Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Kelly's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Kelly, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

Biomarkers: Triple-negative breast cancer; no inherited cancer gene mutation found.

As of February 2025, Kelly identified as a Stage IIIC triple-negative breast cancer survivor after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, double mastectomy with reconstruction, and radiation, and was using her experience to support others through TNBC Thrivers.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Denelle's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Denelle, Female | Stage III

As of February 2025, Denelle had a complete response to total neoadjuvant therapy for Stage IIIB rectal cancer, avoided surgery, and was in active surveillance with scans and scopes every 3 months.

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Stage III Small Cell Lung Cancer: Brian's Patient Story

Patient Info: Brian, Male | Stage III

Brian was early in treatment for Stage III limited-stage small cell lung cancer. As of February 2025, he had completed 1 round of chemotherapy, was starting concurrent radiation, and was waiting on PET scan results to assess response or spread.

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Genetic testing confirms a local recurrence of Stage III sigmoid colon cancer

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

Biomarkers: KRAS, PIK3CA, BRAF -negative

One year after surgery for the local recurrence, he remained free of both local recurrence and distant metastases.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Denelle's Patient Story

Patient Info: Denelle Chapman, Female | Stage III

After chemoradiation and systemic chemotherapy for Stage IIIB rectal cancer, Mayo Clinic scans showed a complete response midway through chemotherapy. As of February 2025, she was finishing treatment and entering surveillance rather than immediate surgery.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Skylee's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Skylee Tinker, Female, 40s | Stage III

Skylee completed surgery and 12 chemotherapy rounds and continued to cope with scan anxiety and survivor guilt; no recurrence or current scan result was reported.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Wendy's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Wendy Harpp, Female, 50s | Stage III

Wendy completed multimodal treatment in 2020 and later became an active colorectal-cancer advocate; current surveillance results and recurrence status were not reported.

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Antonio Dionizio

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

His son reported that surgery and chemotherapy worked and that he was preparing to celebrate his 84th birthday in 2025, more than 20 years after diagnosis.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Scott's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Scott, Male | Stage III

Scott completed chemotherapy and radiation for Stage III rectal cancer, later had ileostomy surgery in May 2023 after cancer cells were found on follow-up, and underwent reversal in August 2023. As of January 2025, he described himself as going strong and proud to be a survivor.

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Scott’s Stage 3 Rectal Cancer Story

Patient Info: Scott, Male | Stage III

After surgery and ostomy reversal, Scott described himself as a 2-time cancer survivor and continued an active life.

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Stage 3B breast cancer: partial mastectomy with pulmonary complications

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

Partial mastectomy was completed for local control of bleeding/anemia in Stage IIIB breast cancer; she was discharged on postoperative day 7 without complications, but long-term cancer control was not reported.

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Stage III small cell lung cancer with paraneoplastic optic disc swelling

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

Biomarkers: anti-CV2/CRMP-5 positive; anti-Hu positive

Eighteen months after diagnosis, there was no evidence of cancer recurrence. Optic disc swelling had fully resolved after steroid treatment, with preserved visual function.

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Small Cell Ovarian Cancer Causing Acute Kidney Injury

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage III

Biomarkers: Somatic SMARCA4 alterations; no germline SMARCA4 pathogenic variant

Combined pembrolizumab, carboplatin, and paclitaxel was continued after marked radiologic improvement, with an excellent PET-CT response documented after 13 cycles.

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Stage III MSI-H/dMMR ascending colon cancer: complete response to pembrolizumab without surgery

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

Biomarkers: dMMR/MSI-H with high TMB, BRAF, BRCA2 mutation, KRAS/NRAS wild-type, HER2-negative, PD-L1-negative; Lynch testing negative.

After 10 months of pembrolizumab, PET/CT showed complete metabolic response and colonoscopy biopsies were negative for malignancy; she continued nonoperative management after declining surgery.

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Stage III Breast Cancer Complicated by a Large Liver Abscess

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive, HER2-negative

Continuing adjuvant anastrozole and oncology follow-up after mastectomy for Stage III breast cancer.

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Long-Lasting Pembrolizumab Response in Stage III Lung Adenocarcinoma With STK11, TP53 and RB1 Mutations

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

Biomarkers: TP53 and RB1 mutations; high tumor mutational burden; PD-L1 70%

Pembrolizumab produced a partial response within 3 months, improved his breathing and fatigue, and was continued for more than 2 years without significant immune-related toxicity.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Linda's Patient Story

Patient Info: Linda | Stage III

In 2025, Linda was still receiving chemotherapy after radiation therapy for Stage III colorectal cancer and was awaiting post-treatment imaging.

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Stage IIIA encapsulated papillary breast carcinoma with invasion: mastectomy, axillary dissection, and anastrozole

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

Biomarkers: ER 100%; PgR 80%; HER2 2+ by IHC with FISH negative; Ki-67 20%; initial biopsy HER2 1+

She received postoperative anastrozole alone after right mastectomy and axillary dissection; no apparent recurrence was observed 18 months after surgery.

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Stage 3 squamous cell lung cancer: major response to chemo-immunotherapy

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 30-40%

After neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy and sleeve right lower lobectomy, pathology showed major pathological response with negative margins, and no metastasis or recurrence was observed 6 months after surgery.

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ROS1-Positive Stage III Lung Adenocarcinoma With Pathologic Complete Response

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 40s | Stage III

Biomarkers: ROS1 fusion-positive

Surgery found no residual cancer cells or involved lymph nodes, and no recurrence was detected during 10 months of crizotinib treatment and follow-up.

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