How We Got Here: 6 Young Lung Cancer Patients & Their Paths To Surgery- Part 1

Patient Info: Leah Phillips, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion

Metastatic Site: bone (pelvis; spine; ribs)

As of April 2025, Leah was living with Stage IV EGFR exon 19 deletion lung cancer while continuing Tagrisso after SBRT and right middle lobe lobectomy.

YouTube (JA search)Read more →

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Albita's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: Described as wild type; no hereditary genetic marker reported

Metastatic Site: liver

Albita had Stage IV colon cancer with liver metastases. As of April 2025, the only active cancer she described was still in the liver, with 3 spots remaining after chemotherapy, radiation, liver resection, hysterectomy/colon surgery, ileostomy, and ongoing/planned liver-directed treatment.

The Patient StoryRead more →

HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Brain and Leptomeningeal Metastases Responding to Intrathecal Treatment

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: brain, leptomeninges

More than 5 years after her September 2019 diagnosis, neurological symptoms had resolved, cerebrospinal fluid remained negative for tumor cells, and maintenance treatment was continuing in February 2025.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Rectal cancer recurring years later with perineural spread and distant metastases

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

Metastatic Site: brain, lung, bone

Despite further chemotherapy, the cancer progressed to the brain, lungs and bones, and she died about 1 year later, approximately 9 years after her initial rectal-cancer treatment.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV Lung Adenocarcinoma Presenting as Persistent Chest Pain and Rib Metastasis

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

Biomarkers: TP53 mutation; PD-L1 30%; no sensitive driver mutation identified

Metastatic Site: bone

After delayed diagnosis of Stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with a painful rib metastasis, he began systemic immunotherapy and local treatment for the painful bone lesion.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Michelle: Stage IV Colorectal Cancer

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

Metastatic Site: Ovary | Femoral nerve region

As of April 2025, Michelle described living as a Stage IV colorectal cancer survivor after FOLFOX, major surgery, 2.5 years with no evidence of disease, and a later PET-detected recurrence involving the femoral nerve region.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Metastatic SMARCA4-Deficient Lung Cancer Controlled for More Than Two Years With Tislelizumab and Fruquintinib

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 8%; no target-sensitive mutation identified

Metastatic Site: left adrenal gland, cervical lymph nodes

After radiotherapy reduced the cervical-node metastasis, imaging on April 26, 2024 showed stable disease. He ended trial treatment after 2 years and continued regular follow-up.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stable Metastatic Breast Cancer During Treatment With a CDK4/6 Inhibitor and Fulvestrant

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

Biomarkers: HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: liver

Metastatic breast cancer remained stable after 18 months of tiremciclib and fulvestrant.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Metastatic lung squamous cell carcinoma: no recurrence after chemoimmunotherapy and pembrolizumab maintenance

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion; PD-L1 TPS 95%; TTF-1-negative; p40-positive

Metastatic Site: mediastinal lymph nodes; bilateral lung nodules

As of April 2025, PET/CT 3 years after treatment initiation showed no sign of recurrence after carboplatin, nab-paclitaxel, pembrolizumab, and 2 years of pembrolizumab monotherapy.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Kasey's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: CEA elevated; no genomic biomarker reported

Metastatic Site: liver

Kasey was diagnosed with Stage II colon cancer in February 2024 and progressed to Stage IV disease with a liver lesion in September 2024. As of April 2025, she was continuing chemotherapy after liver surgery.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Stage IV squamous lung cancer: partial response complicated by pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm

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

Metastatic Site: distant sites not specified (M1c1)

As of April 2025, tumor imaging showed partial remission/significant reduction, and the pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm was successfully embolized with no recurrent hemoptysis over 6 months.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Metastatic lung adenocarcinoma: pembrolizumab response complicated by pulmonary arterial hypertension

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

Biomarkers: CK7-positive; TTF-1-positive; p40 focally positive; high tumor mutational burden; no targetable mutations identified

Metastatic Site: right axillary lymph node; right hilar lymph nodes;…

As of April 2025, the patient was tolerating single-agent pemetrexed without evidence of lung cancer progression, while pulmonary arterial hypertension symptoms had improved on riociguat and macitentan.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Small-Cell Lung Cancer With Later Brain and Other Metastases in a Woman With COPD

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

Metastatic Site: central nervous system

Her neurologic condition progressively worsened after immune-related encephalitis and extensive metastatic progression. She died from sepsis 8 months after the lung-cancer diagnosis.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Small Cell Lung Cancer That Spread to the Ear Canal

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

Metastatic Site: external auditory canal, middle ear, pancreas, bone

The metastatic lesions initially shrank and his hearing and ear pain improved, but he died 15 months after diagnosis.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Metastatic Neuroendocrine Breast Cancer With Severe Hormone Overproduction

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

Biomarkers: ER-negative, PR focally positive, HER2-negative, PIK3CA mutation

Metastatic Site: liver, bone

Died after rapid deterioration and cardiac arrest during progressive metastatic disease.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage 4 ALK-rearranged lung cancer: complete response with alectinib and SBRT

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: EML4-ALK fusion, EGFR wild type. Later tumor: EGFR L858R/T790M and TP53 L194R, without ALK rearrangement.

Metastatic Site: pleura, lymph nodes

As of March 2025, the original ALK-rearranged metastatic disease had responded to alectinib, the separate EGFR-mutant right upper-lobe lesion had responded to SBRT, and PET-CT showed no hypermetabolic lung lesion.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage 4 SMARCA4-deficient lung cancer: ongoing treatment response

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

Biomarkers: SMARCA4-deficient lung cancer with BRG-1 loss, CK/CK7 positive, Ki-67 >40%. CEA

Metastatic Site: sigmoid colon, left adrenal gland

After colon metastasis surgery, continued radiotherapy, and later gemcitabine/nedaplatin/bevacizumab/camrelizumab for adrenal metastasis, the cancer showed a favorable response with no further recurrence or new metastasis reported.

PubMed CentralRead more →

HER2-positive breast cancer with brain metastases: responding well to T-DXd

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-positive / HER2 IHC 3+

Metastatic Site: brain (left cerebellum, left frontal lobe, medulla)

After 14 months and 19 doses of T-DXd, brain metastases remained controlled with no symptomatic or radiological relapse and no severe T-DXd-related adverse events.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Severe Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia After Pembrolizumab for Metastatic Lung Cancer

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 70%

Metastatic Site: left adrenal gland, subdiaphragmatic region

He recovered clinically from the acute hemolytic anemia after intravenous immunoglobulin, high-dose steroids, and blood transfusions, then continued outpatient oncology follow-up.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Bill's Patient Story

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

Metastatic Site: Liver | Lungs | Brain

As of March 2025, Bill was living with incurable Stage IV colon cancer after liver, lung, and brain involvement, with ongoing chemotherapy and lifelong maintenance treatment.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Metastatic lung adenocarcinoma: complete remission on nivolumab complicated by immune-mediated diabetes

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

Biomarkers: Lung tumor: EGFR wild type, ALK rearrangement not detected. Immune-mediated diabetes: islet/GAD antibodies negative and C-peptide undetectable.

Metastatic Site: brain (cerebellum and occipital lobe); liver

As of March 2025, serial CT and MRI scans through October 2023 showed no evidence of oncologic disease after nivolumab, while immune-mediated diabetes was controlled with basal-bolus insulin.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV ROS1 Lung Adenocarcinoma: Luna's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: ROS1 rearrangement; EGFR negative; ALK negative

Metastatic Site: liver; bones

Luna had Stage IV ROS1-positive lung adenocarcinoma with liver and bone metastases. After progression on initial chemotherapy, crizotinib led to tumor shrinkage and controlled her cancer for almost 12 years as of March 2025.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Stephani's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Stephani St. Cyr, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-targeted treatments reported; no inherited cancer gene mutation found.

Metastatic Site: Bone; liver; brain

As of March 2025, Stephani had Stage IV metastatic breast cancer involving bone, liver, and brain, had no evidence of disease since July 2021, and continued HER2-targeted/systemic therapy.

Stage IV KRAS Colorectal Cancer: Bill's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: KRAS mutation

Metastatic Site: liver; lung; brain

Bill has Stage IV KRAS G12A-mutated colon cancer with liver, lung, and brain metastases. After multiple surgeries, ablation, Gamma Knife, and repeated chemotherapy, tumors shrank and he moved to lifelong maintenance chemotherapy every 2 weeks as of March 2025.

The Patient StoryRead more →