Stage IV EGFR Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Ashley's Patient Story

Patient Info: Ashley, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR T790M mutation

Metastatic Site: Both lungs / bilateral lung nodules

As of March 2024, Ashley was living with Stage IV EGFR-mutated NSCLC controlled on daily Tagrisso for 43 months, with stable scans but no cancer-free or NED claim.

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Stage IV ALK Lung Adenocarcinoma: Keegan's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Keegan Murphy, Male, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK fusion mutation

Metastatic Site: Lungs; lymph nodes; ribs/bone; abdomen

As of March 2024, Keegan had gone from Stage IV ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma with tumors in the lungs, lymph nodes, ribs, and abdomen to no evidence of disease after alectinib and surgery.

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Metastatic gastric cancer with Krukenberg tumors complicated by emergency bleeding

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

Metastatic Site: bilateral ovaries/adnexa (Krukenberg tumors)

She recovered well from emergency surgery for bleeding from a torsed Krukenberg tumor and was attending regular oncology follow-up 6 months later.

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Stage IIIB to metastatic rectal cancer: setback and treatment journey

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

Metastatic Site: Liver; lung

As of March 2024, Justine was living with metastatic rectal cancer involving liver and lung, described as treatable but not curable, after surgery, permanent ileostomy, IV chemotherapy, liver ablation, lung SBRT, and Y-90 liver radioembolization.

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Metastatic lung cancer responding to pembrolizumab despite multiple immune-related side effects

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

Metastatic Site: right adrenal gland

Later PET/CT showed no FDG uptake in the primary lung lesion or the right adrenal metastasis after pembrolizumab had been stopped for toxicity.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Linda's Patient Story

Patient Info: Linda Hartong, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: liver

Linda was feeling well enough to continue treatment after right liver resection and 10 chemotherapy cycles, with further surgery and 2 final cycles planned.

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Stage IV lung adenocarcinoma presenting as a painful thigh metastasis

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

Metastatic Site: right thigh soft tissue/muscle, bilateral iliac bones…

After 9 months of therapy, the lung lesion had a partial response and the painful thigh mass had markedly decreased, although she remained unable to walk.

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Jason Randall: stage IV colorectal cancer and liver metastases

Patient Info: Jason Randall, Male, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver; lung; tailbone/sacrum/pelvis

As of March 2024, Jason was 2.5 years off chemotherapy and 16 months with no evidence of disease after treatment for Stage IV rectosigmoid colorectal cancer.

City of HopeRead more →

ALK-positive Stage IV lung adenocarcinoma controlled with alectinib despite hemolytic anemia

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

Biomarkers: ALK-positive

At 1 year after starting alectinib, the tumor had not regrown and treatment was continuing intermittently despite persistent mild anemia.

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

Patient Info: Tim Monds, Male, 50s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: High PD-L1 expression

Metastatic Site: Other lung lobes / lung nodules

As of March 2024, Tim Monds was identified as a Stage IV lung cancer survivor involved in discussion of the PaCES early palliative-care project and broader lung cancer advocacy.

Stage IV Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Leslie's Patient Story

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

Metastatic Site: Bone: spine, ribs, pelvis

Leslie was diagnosed at 56 with de novo metastatic ILC after an initial Stage II biopsy result was revised to Stage IV when MRI showed numerous bone metastases, and her cancer was well controlled on targeted drugs as of February 2024.

Lobular Breast Cancer AllianceRead more →

Rare soft-tissue sarcoma of the breast

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: TLE1 strongly and diffusely positive; p63, CK7

Metastatic Site: lungs

After mastectomy, the cancer was metastatic to the lungs and care was palliative.

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Metastatic rectal cancer treated during pregnancy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: CEA within normal limits at diagnosis

Metastatic Site: distant lymph nodes including para-aortic,…

Rectal bleeding stopped after chemotherapy, and PET-CT after cycle 3 showed a partial response in the rectal tumour and several involved lymph-node regions.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Raquel's Patient Story

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

Metastatic Site: Ovaries; liver; lungs; peritoneal cavity; omentum

As of February 2024, Raquel was living with terminal Stage IV colorectal cancer, on ongoing chemotherapy with mixed response and seeking additional opinions about whether surgery could extend her life.

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Metastatic hormone receptor-positive breast cancer with paraneoplastic eosinophilic fasciitis

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; eosinophilia during paraneoplastic eosinophilic fasciitis flare

Metastatic Site: pelvis

As of February 2024, paraneoplastic eosinophilic fasciitis had remitted after prednisone plus systemic breast-cancer therapy, and 6-month follow-up showed no further skin recurrence or cancer progression.

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Regorafenib produced a radiologic complete response in metastatic colon cancer with lung metastases

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

Biomarkers: KRAS codon 146 mutation; BRAF wild type; MSI-low

Metastatic Site: liver, lung

Nine months after stopping regorafenib, CT showed scarring of the lung metastases consistent with a radiologic complete response.

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Stage IV BRCA Breast Cancer: Dena's Patient Story

Patient Info: Dena Ofengeim, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Hormone receptor-positive; BRCA mutation

Metastatic Site: spine

Dena improved rapidly after treatment, regained her mobility, returned to an active life, and remained on therapy for metastatic breast cancer.

Dana-FarberRead more →

EGFR-mutated stage IV lung cancer complicated by radiation lung injury and severe COVID-19

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

Biomarkers: EGFR mutation; TP53 mutation

Metastatic Site: bone

Osimertinib produced a significant reduction in the lung lesions. She remained alive at the last follow-up in July 2023 after recovering from severe COVID-19 and treatment-related lung complications.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Bobbi's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Bobbi Ratliff, 50s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: liver|lungs

On February 1, 2024, scans showed no evidence of cancer after multimodal treatment for Stage IV disease.

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Lung cancer brain metastasis grew into a pre-existing meningioma

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

Metastatic Site: brain

Six months after lung surgery, a pathologically confirmed brain metastasis developed beside and partly infiltrated a pre-existing meningioma. It was surgically removed, and the patient declined radiochemotherapy afterward.

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Pembrolizumab and surgery for metastatic dMMR colorectal cancer with major response

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

Biomarkers: dMMR/MSI-H; MLH1 loss; PMS2 loss; BRAF/RAS wild type; RET::NCOA4 fusion; MLH1 promoter hypermethylation

Metastatic Site: non-regional lymph nodes

Surgery showed a major pathological response with less than 10% viable tumor. Pembrolizumab was restarted after surgery, and no relapse had been documented.

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Pembrolizumab led to complete response before surgery for metastatic dMMR colon cancer

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

Biomarkers: dMMR/MSI-H; MLH1 loss; PMS2 loss; BRAF mutation; heterozygous MUTYH p. pathogenic variant

Metastatic Site: liver

The 2023 liver resection showed a pathological complete response with no residual tumor, and he entered follow-up without additional therapy.

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Lorlatinib rapidly cleared multiple brain metastases in a 23-year-old with ALK-positive lung cancer

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

Biomarkers: ALK-positive

Metastatic Site: brain, pleura, pericardium

Lorlatinib rapidly cleared the brain metastases and maintained the response for 6 months, but new brain metastases were found in July 2023.

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Stage IV colon cancer treated with FOLFOX during hemodialysis

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

Biomarkers: RAS mutation; BRAF wild type

Metastatic Site: lung

Cancer was controlled during chemotherapy for a period, but modified FOLFOX was ultimately stopped because the disease progressed.

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