Stage 4: 492 Real Stories
492 stories match stage 4. 319 of them mention chemotherapy.
Stage IV ROS1 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Ashley’s Survivor Story
Ashley was 35, active and raising 2 young children when she was diagnosed with Stage IV non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma with a ROS1 mutation. Her first major symptoms were sharp pain in her right abdomen and shoulder, severe shortness of breath and low…
Read this storyStage IV Lung Cancer: Natalie’s Patient Story
Natalie Brown was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in June 2020 after about 6 months of testing, including X-rays, CT scans, PET scans and several biopsies. She had been dismissed at times because of her age and lack of smoking history. During one biopsy…
Read this storyStage IV ALK Lung Cancer: Amanda’s Patient Story
Amanda was diagnosed with Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer 10 days after giving birth to twins. During pregnancy, she had a high heart rate, low energy and a cough that doctors attributed to pregnancy. After delivery, the cough did not go away. She went to…
Read this storyStage IV EGFR Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Filipe’s Patient Story
Filipe was 36 when a headache and blurred vision led to a Stage IV lung cancer diagnosis. A brain MRI showed 7 brain metastases, including a 4 cm lesion at the back of his head. CT imaging and biopsy confirmed lung cancer as the primary. Liver lesions were…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Monica’s Patient Story
Monica was 32, from Australia and living in Croatia, when she was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. She had stomach pain that was initially brushed off as possible IBS or a gynecologic issue. When she ended up in the hospital, imaging showed a tumor…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Nina’s Survivor Story
Nina was 34 when she noticed hardening under her left armpit. About 1 year later, the lump had grown and her breast began to show dimpling. A mammogram and ultrasound found an abnormal lump, and a biopsy confirmed Stage III breast cancer. Soon afterward…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Casandra’s Patient Story
Casandra was 38 when she was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. For years, she had rectal bleeding and fatigue that she attributed to hemorrhoids, interstitial cystitis, and later recovery after gastric sleeve surgery. When the bleeding and fatigue…
Read this storyStage IV Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Deltra’s Patient Story
Deltra James was diagnosed at 33 with de novo Stage IV triple-negative metastatic breast cancer and later became a voice for people navigating love, identity, and confidence while living with advanced disease. In this part of the Empowered Intimacy series…
Read this storyStage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Nina’s Survivor Story
Nina was 34 when she was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Her first sign was a hard strip under her left armpit, not the small pea-like lump she had been told to watch for. At first, she was reassured because she was young, had dense breast…
Read this storyStage IV HER2-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Samantha’s Patient Story
Samantha was an active hiker and outdoor adventurer when a mild cough and chest pressure after a trip to India led to a Stage IV lung cancer diagnosis. She had never thought lung cancer was likely because she was a nonsmoker and very health-conscious. At…
Read this storyStage IV Lung Cancer: Ashley’s Patient Story
Ashley Smith was 35 when she was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. Before the diagnosis, she was active, spent time outdoors with her young children, worked out with a trainer, and did not fit the image many people wrongly associate with lung cancer. Her…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jess’s Survivor Story
Jess Thompson was diagnosed with Stage IV bowel cancer at 26 after months of severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, and anemia. The cramping came in sudden episodes that lasted 2 to 3 days, then eased. She also noticed she could no longer climb…
Read this storyStage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Ashley’s Survivor Story
Ashley Vasallo was 36 when she shared her story, 2 years after being diagnosed with Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. Before diagnosis, she had trouble swallowing, shortness of breath, stabbing chest pain, fatigue, vomiting, full-body swelling, clubbed…
Read this storyStage IV HR-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Dee’s Patient Story
Dee was 31 and breastfeeding in 2017 when pain in her left breast was followed by a large lump. Her symptoms were initially minimized because of her age, but she kept pushing for answers and eventually had an ultrasound through a private hospital. She was…
Read this storyStage IV Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Deltra’s Patient Story
Deltra James was diagnosed at 33 with de novo Stage IV triple-negative metastatic breast cancer. In this conversation with Melissa Berry, she focused on the emotional and body-image side of living after a breast cancer diagnosis. Cancer can leave visible and…
Read this storyStage IV HER2-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Dee’s Patient Story
Dee Doherty was first diagnosed at age 31 with Stage III invasive ductal carcinoma and extensive DCIS in her left breast. Her early signs included trouble producing milk on the left side while breastfeeding, then breast pain and a growing lumpy area. Because…
Read this storyStage IV Lung Cancer: Florence’s Patient Story
Florence was 40 and living in Nîmes when unusual fatigue, stomach pain, and shortness of breath led her to medical care. She was first diagnosed with pericarditis and treated in the hospital, but deeper testing found the cause: lung cancer. Telling her…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Lourdes’s Patient Story
Lourdes Monje was 25 when they noticed a new mass in their chest in October 2020. After an ultrasound, biopsy, and several scans, they were diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer in January 2021. The diagnosis disrupted plans for a new career and brought…
Read this storyStage IV KRAS Breast Cancer: Lauren’s Patient Story
Lauren, from Houston, first found a breast lump in 2014 after breastfeeding her second child. It was initially dismissed as a fibroadenoma, but 2 years later she developed breast pain and noticed that her left nipple looked unusual. She was diagnosed with…
Read this storyStage IV KRAS Colorectal Cancer: Lauren’s Patient Story
Lauren Bimage was 29 when she first noticed a breast lump after breastfeeding. It was initially thought to be a fibroadenoma, but years later pain and nipple changes led to mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy. She was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer…
Read this storyStage IV ALK Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Lindsay’s Patient Story
Lindsay Wagner was 42 when side pain, chest discomfort, and a year-long cough led her to the ER. Doctors first suspected gallbladder disease, pneumonia, or ovarian cancer because a CA-125 test was elevated and imaging showed liver lesions. A liver biopsy…
Read this storyStage IV BRAF Colorectal Cancer: Sophie’s Survivor Story
Sophie was diagnosed with Stage IV bowel cancer in 2018 after nearly a year of unexplained symptoms. Vomiting, anemia, pain, diarrhea, and inability to keep food down were first investigated as possible Crohn’s disease. Colonoscopy, MRI, and CT then showed a…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Nick’s Patient Story
Nick Sprague, a firefighter and critical care paramedic, was diagnosed with colorectal adenocarcinoma at age 48 after 1 to 2 years of bowel changes, blood in the stool, abdominal pain, reflux-like symptoms, and fatigue. An emergency visit first led to a…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Samantha’s Patient Story
Samantha was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer at 22 in March 2019 after pain in her left breast led her to feel a lump. Initial reassurance and antibiotics did not help. A biopsy confirmed breast cancer, and her surgeon also biopsied a suspicious lymph…
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