Stage IV Gastric Adenocarcinoma: Angel's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Angel | Stage IV

Angel was declared cancer-free in August 2024 and described being NED within 1 year of the Stage IV gastric cancer diagnosis.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Adriana's Patient Story

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

Adriana was continuing treatment for stage 4 breast cancer and hoped for a complete response. She remained focused on her children despite substantial emotional and financial strain.

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Stage IV HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Bethany's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive / hormone-positive

Metastatic Site: Liver; bones; lymph nodes; stomach

As of December 2022, Bethany was living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer after recurrence to the liver, bones, lymph nodes, and stomach, and was on lifelong maintenance treatment after disease shrinkage.

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Stage IV Lung Cancer Reached Remission After Severe Nerve Damage and Neck Surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: left cervical lymph nodes

Considered in complete remission after cervical lymph-node surgery, with no clinical or radiological progression 24 months after systemic treatment; alive and back at work 3 years after diagnosis.

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

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

Biomarkers: ALK-positive / ALK-rearranged

As of November 2022, Dan was living with Stage IV ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer on Alectinib, with stable scans since spring 2020 and ongoing monitoring.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Trevor's Patient Story

Patient Info: Trevor Maxwell, Male, 40s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver

As of November 2022, Trevor was nearly 5 years into Stage IV colon cancer, had undergone colon surgery, chemotherapy, liver resection and multiple surgeries, and was living with ongoing uncertainty while leading Man Up to Cancer.

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Recurrent gastric cancer with peritoneal spread and a difficult intestinal fistula

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

Metastatic Site: peritoneum

About 10 years after her original gastrectomy, recurrent gastric cancer with peritoneal spread progressed despite palliative procedures. She died 3 months after her final reoperation.

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Stage IV Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Nancy's Patient Story

Patient Info: Nancy, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Bones

At the time of Brian’s account, Nancy was living with stage 4 lobular breast cancer and remained active in patient advocacy and education.

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Breast Cancer Spread to the Sinuses, Eye Sockets and Skull

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive

Metastatic Site: ethmoid and frontal sinuses; both orbits; multiple…

At 1-year follow-up, the sino-orbital metastases had not progressed on neuroimaging, right-eye visual acuity remained good, and chemoradiotherapy had been tolerated without complication.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatment Caused Severe Circulation Problems in Her Fingers and Toes

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

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

The digital ischaemia improved after gemcitabine was stopped, without revascularisation, debridement or amputation, although a small necrotic fingertip area persisted at 3 months. Metastatic breast cancer treatment continued with further systemic lines after progression.

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Stage IV PIK3CA Breast Cancer: Abigail's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: Hormone-positive breast cancer with PIK3CA mutation and germline ATM mutation; later PD-L1 somatic change reported. HER2 not stated.

Metastatic Site: Bone, including femurs, spine, and humeri; later liver

As of October 2022, Abigail was living with Stage IV hormone-positive metastatic breast cancer after years of treatment, bone-dominant disease that later involved the liver, targeted therapies, genomic testing, and advocacy around clinical trials and patient research participation.

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Stage IV ALK Lung Cancer: Bekah's Patient Story

Patient Info: Bekah Cunningham, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK-positive

Metastatic Site: breast

Maintenance scans remained clear 6 years after starting alectinib, and she continued to live an active life with Stage IV lung cancer.

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Continuing 5-FU After Severe Chest Pain During Metastatic Colon Cancer Treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Pretreatment with diltiazem allowed her to complete a 48-hour 5-FU infusion without recurrent chest pain, abnormal heart rhythm or loss of heart function.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer Reclassified After NTRK Fusion Testing

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ETV6-NTRK3 fusion detected in tissue but not circulating tumor DNA; ER low-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative; PD-L1-negative; germline CHEK2 variant of uncertain significance

Metastatic Site: lungs and pleura; hilar, mediastinal and retrocaval…

After tissue testing identified an ETV6-NTRK3 fusion, treatment with larotrectinib produced a rapid clinical and radiological response.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Lianne's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lianne Kraemer, female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: brain

Six years after brain metastases were diagnosed, Lianne remained in active follow-up with scans and treatment decisions every 8 weeks while living with metastatic breast cancer.

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Stage IV Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Julie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Julie Campbell, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: triple-negative

Julie died on April 17, 2022.

Stage IV Gastric Cancer: Rachel's Patient Story

Patient Info: Rachel Orth, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Rachel previously reported stable metastatic gastric cancer while receiving treatment on a phase I clinical trial. She died in June 2025.

Stage IV EGFR Lung Adenocarcinoma: Emily's Patient Story

Patient Info: Emily Bannister, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR Exon 19-positive; no other driver mutations present

Metastatic Site: Intrathoracic lymphatic spread

Emily had Stage IV EGFR Exon 19-positive lung adenocarcinoma with a strong early response to trial-based targeted therapy, and later passed away on March 14, 2023 from complications caused by Stage IV lung cancer.

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Living with Stage 4 Lung Cancer (Plus Radiation & My Follow Up!) | Amy’s Story (3 of 3)

Patient Info: Amy, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: MET amplification

Metastatic Site: Bone/femur and hips; adrenal gland

As of July 2022, Amy was 3.5 years after Stage IV squamous cell lung cancer diagnosis, not NED but stable for about 3 years on Crizotinib with ongoing imaging and local treatment to lung/adrenal sites.

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Stage IV MET Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Amy's Patient Story

Patient Info: Amy, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: MET amplification

Metastatic Site: Bone/femur; lymph nodes; shoulder; adrenal glands;…

As of July 2022, Amy had a rapid and strong response to Crizotinib after MET amplification was found, with pain and lumps improving within about 2 weeks after Keytruda had failed.

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Pausing Alectinib During Pregnancy After a Complete Lung Cancer Response

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

She remained in complete remission 32 months after diagnosis after pausing alectinib during pregnancy and restarting it after delivery; her child had normal physical and psychomotor development.

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

Patient Info: Amy, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: MET amplification identified later in the series; not known at initial treatment decision

As of July 2022, this first Amy segment covered diagnosis, second opinion, and the initial Keytruda-versus-clinical-trial decision before MET amplification was known; later response is addressed in the following series segments.

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Stage IV Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Anabel's Patient Story

Patient Info: Anabel, Female | Stage IV

As of July 2022, Anabel was living with metastatic infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma after chemotherapy and radiation, using supportive care and clinical-trial participation to focus on quality of life and slowing metastasis.

Metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma first discovered through a malignant pleural effusion

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

Metastatic Site: pleura, lungs, diaphragm, bone

Soon after diagnosis, worsening malignant pleural effusions led to respiratory failure, shock and renal failure. Life-support measures were withdrawn and he was terminally extubated.

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