Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Dan's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Dan Trombley, Male, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver; portal vein; duodenum

As of July 2025, after Stage IV colon cancer that had spread through much of the liver and involved the portal vein and duodenum, Dan’s cancer had not returned and he had regained strength, returned to work, and welcomed a daughter in 2023.

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Stage IIIB ascending colon cancer with later cervical and vaginal metastases, systemic nodal progression, and death

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

Biomarkers: Primary colon cancer and vaginal/cervical metastasis both supported colorectal origin. MMR proteins were retained; HER2 0; Ki-67 high in metastasis.

Metastatic Site: cervix, vagina, rectal wall/serosa, systemic lymph…

After initial Stage IIIB ascending-colon cancer and later cervical/vaginal metastatic recurrence, CAPEOX was stopped because of cardiac toxicity; systemic lymph node metastases developed in early 2023, treatment was abandoned, and she died in April 2023.

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

Patient Info: Wyatt, Male, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: KRAS

Wyatt was living with Stage IV KRAS G12D non-small cell lung cancer and ongoing oncology follow-up. As of July 2025, the source did not state remission, NED, progression, or specific treatment response.

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BRAF V600E stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with complete radiologic remission on dabrafenib-trametinib

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

Biomarkers: BRAF lung cancer with PD-L1 TPS 95%, and TMB 6.3. TP53 and CHEK2 changes were also reported.

Metastatic Site: left adrenal gland, right adrenal gland,…

As of February 2024, she had ECOG performance status 0, no need for oxygen therapy, no radiologic evidence of active oncologic disease, no visible adrenal lesions, and only residual scarring at the primary lung site.

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HER2-positive breast cancer with brain, skin, and lymph-node metastases responding to dual-targeted therapy

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive breast cancer. Initial tumor was ER/PR negative with Ki-67 30%; skin metastasis had Ki-67 70%.

Metastatic Site: brain, left cervical lymph nodes, skin of left chest…

After 1 cycle of inetetamab trastuzumab, pyrotinib, and capecitabine, skin metastases regressed, CEA and CA125 decreased, brain lesions shrank, and the largest lesion decreased by about 46%, meeting partial response; disease remained stable as of September 2024.

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I Was SHOCKED At My STAGE 4 Diagnosis!

Patient Info: Lauren, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: peritoneum / abdominal cavity

Lauren was early in treatment for Stage IV signet-ring cell colon cancer. As of July 2025, she was receiving chemotherapy, living with a colostomy, and hoping for enough response to allow further surgery or HIPEC; remission was not stated.

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Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Elissa's Patient Story

Patient Info: Elissa, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; no hereditary mutation reported

Metastatic Site: lymph nodes, liver, spine

Elissa had Stage IV HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer with an early strong response to systemic therapy, but she described the disease as long-term and not curative. As of July 2025, she had lived with metastatic breast cancer for about 4 years and had received roughly 5 lines of treatment.

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Stage IV Small Cell Lung Cancer: Kristen's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kristen, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: liver, abdominal wall, bone

Kristen had metastatic small cell lung cancer with liver, abdominal wall, and bone involvement. As of July 2025, she had completed chemotherapy, had organ-tumor shrinkage, had immunotherapy on hold because of shortness of breath, and was planning bone-directed treatment and possible immunotherapy restart.

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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.

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Kate Joyal

Patient Info: Kate Joyal | Stage IV

After 8 rounds of chemotherapy and colorectal surgery, Kate reported clear follow-up scans and remained hopeful about becoming cancer-free.

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Isolated adrenal metastasis from breast cancer: adrenalectomy and exemestane plus palbociclib

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative; GATA3-positive; CK7-positive; mammaglobin-positive; GCDFP-15 rare staining

Metastatic Site: right adrenal gland

After laparoscopic right adrenalectomy for isolated metastatic breast carcinoma, follow-up CT abdomen/pelvis and PET-CT showed no metastatic disease elsewhere; surveillance while on exemestane and palbociclib showed no recurrence so far.

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Stage IV ALK Lung Cancer: Kathrin's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kathrin, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK-positive

Metastatic Site: bones including left foot, liver, abdomen/belly

Kathrin had Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer with metastases including left foot/bone, liver, and abdomen. Radiation and targeted therapy worked quickly, with PET imaging after about 8 weeks showing almost everything gone; she remained on lifelong targeted therapy and did not describe being cured.

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Stage IV small-cell lung cancer: complete response after chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy

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

Biomarkers: especially at recurrence. PD-L1 was not reported.

Metastatic Site: liver; right hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes

As of January 2, 2024, she was alive with overall survival exceeding 95 months and complete response after treatment for recurrent small-cell lung cancer.

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Metastatic colorectal cancer during pregnancy: chemotherapy and liver metastases

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Mismatch-repair deficient; KRAS ; BRAF not detected; CEA 38 ug/L; Lynch syndrome family history

Metastatic Site: liver, porta hepatis lymph nodes, retroperitoneal…

After initial response to FOLFOX, she developed bowel obstruction after moving closer to family and died during that admission after conservative management.

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Stage IV Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Lauren's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lauren, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: No actionable biomarkers reported; tumor testing suggested Lynch syndrome/hereditary pattern was unlikely; germline genetic testing pending

Lauren had Stage IV signet-ring cell colon cancer diagnosed after obstruction and emergency surgery with colostomy. As of July 2025, she was receiving traditional colorectal chemotherapy and awaiting germline genetic testing; remission was not stated.

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Stage IVA EGFR L858R lung adenocarcinoma with malignant effusions and thrombosis

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 21 L858R mutation; TTF-1 weak positive; Napsin A positive; p40 negative; Ki-67 about 10%

Metastatic Site: malignant pleural effusion; malignant pericardial…

As of May 2025, abdominal pain had resolved, splenic infarction had not progressed, thromboembolic events were regressing, no new thrombus formation was seen, and outpatient follow-up continued while he remained on cancer and anticoagulation management.

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Metastatic NSCLC with ATM mutations: 28-month response to olaparib before progression

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

Biomarkers: cfDNA showed ATM and ATM mutations. Common NSCLC drivers were negative; initial tumor markers were negative.

Metastatic Site: liver, left pubic bone, bilateral pulmonary nodules,…

After 28 months of remission and improved quality of life on olaparib, June 2024 PET-CT showed progression with a new 1.2 cm hypermetabolic left lower-lobe pulmonary nodule; olaparib was still being continued at the October 2024 clinic visit.

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HER2-low lobular breast cancer with bone marrow involvement responding to T-DXd

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Initial surgical specimen: ER-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative. Bone marrow relapse: breast cancer infiltration with low HER2 staining.

Metastatic Site: bone marrow

Two years after starting T-DXd, this patient remained free of bone marrow disease and continued the same treatment regimen.

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HER2-low lobular breast cancer with bone marrow involvement treated with T-DXd

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Initial surgical specimen: ER-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative. Bone marrow relapse: breast cancer infiltration with low HER2 staining.

Metastatic Site: bone marrow

Two years after starting T-DXd, this patient remained free of bone marrow disease and continued the same treatment regimen.

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Extensive-stage small cell lung cancer with brain and adrenal progression after prolonged disease control

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

Biomarkers: Small-cell lung cancer markers included CD56, CgA and TTF-1; Ki-67 was 80%.

Metastatic Site: brain, right adrenal gland, left adrenal gland

After 31 months of stability on second-line anlotinib with palliative chemoradiotherapy, disease progressed in July 2024 with new brain lesions and adrenal progression; the patient declined additional systemic options and continued anlotinib.

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Stage 4 triple-negative breast cancer: NED after adrenalectomy

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

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative; CA 15-3 elevated at recurrence; normalized post-surgery

Metastatic Site: adrenal gland

After adrenalectomy, serum CA15-3 and metanephrine/normetanephrine levels normalized, and the preoperative workup had found no other metastatic disease.

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Stage IV Large-Cell Neuroendocrine Lung Cancer Controlled for Nearly Four Years With Multiple Treatments

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 high initially; no actionable driver mutation; later PD-L1 5%

Metastatic Site: liver, bones

After several partial responses across multiple treatment lines, she entered hospice and died on December 13, 2024, after an overall survival of 47 months.

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Stage IVA lung adenosquamous carcinoma: complete response after paclitaxel, nedaplatin, and tislelizumab

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

Biomarkers: Adenosquamous lung cancer markers; PD-L1 TPS 18%; KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, FLT1 mutation; TMB 3.7

Metastatic Site: pleura/chest wall, cervical lymph nodes, axillary…

As of March 30, 2025, he maintained complete response with normal tumor markers, no radiologic evidence of progression or recurrence, and progression-free survival of 46.5 months after paclitaxel/nedaplatin/tislelizumab followed by maintenance tislelizumab.

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Stage 4 colorectal cancer: complete response with panitumumab and FOLFOX4

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

Biomarkers: KRAS/NRAS/BRAF wild type; MSS/pMMR; HER2 not overexpressed. CEA and CA19-9 were elevated.

Metastatic Site: periaortic and pelvic lymph nodes; left ovary/adnexa

As of November 2024, she was alive and continuing second-line FOLFIRI with stable disease after prior complete remission on panitumumab plus FOLFOX4 and later progression with ovarian metastasis.

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