Stage IV gastric cancer with liver metastases cleared after chemotherapy, nivolumab and surgery

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1-positive, HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: liver

After treatment cleared the gastric and liver lesions, all anticancer therapy was stopped. He remained relapse-free with no evidence of disease for 32 months.

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Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Recurring in Groin Lymph Nodes

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: right inguinal lymph node; right iliac/pelvic lymph…

Her condition deteriorated after 3 cycles of palliative capecitabine. She developed vomiting, headache and seizures concerning for brain metastases and died about 4 months after the groin metastasis was detected.

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32-year-old woman with Stage IV rectal cancer, liver and lung metastases, targeted chemotherapy, surgery, ablation, radiation, and ongoing chemotherapy

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

Biomarkers: KRAS wild-type; NRAS wild-type; BRAF wild-type

Metastatic Site: Liver | Lung | Presacral/perirectal lymph nodes

As of the story endpoint around December 2020, she was 5 years into treatment for Stage IV rectal cancer after multiple systemic regimens, bowel/liver/lung surgery, liver recurrence treatment, ablation, lung surgery, TOMO radiation, and ongoing chemotherapy.

Stage IV gastric cancer with a TP53 blood finding traced to clonal hematopoiesis

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

Metastatic Site: distant lymph nodes

At age 57, 3 years 4 months after his Stage IV diagnosis, he remained alive after multiple lines of treatment; progression had occurred before his later-line regimens.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Duncan's Patient Story

Patient Info: Duncan Finigan, female | Stage IV

Duncan Finigan died peacefully surrounded by her family in 2019.

Dana-FarberRead more →

How to Advocate for Yourself If You Have Metastatic Breast Cancer

Patient Info: Lisa J. Frank, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: brain

Living with Stage IV breast cancer involving the brain and continuing clinical-trial treatment every 3 weeks.

Dana-FarberRead more →

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Lise's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lise Pass, Female, 50s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: bone

Living with metastatic breast cancer for nearly a decade, feeling well and continuing nightly oral chemotherapy after 5 years of monthly infusions.

Dana-FarberRead more →

A young man with metastatic rectal cancer and inherited BRCA1 and MLH1 mutations

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

Biomarkers: Germline BRCA1 c.4065_4068delTCAA and MLH1 c.232G>T mutations; tumor microsatellite instability-high; loss of MLH1 and PMS2 expression; elevated tumor mutational burden; loss of heterozygosity of wild-type MLH1.

Metastatic Site: liver

The rectal and liver tumors showed a partial response, no viable carcinoma was found in the resected liver lesions, and maintenance nivolumab continued without evidence of growth or recurrence.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Almudena's Survivor Story

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

Metastatic Site: Peritoneum

As of May 2022, Almudena was cancer-free after surgery and 12 chemotherapy sessions, had been medically cleared as cured after 6 years, and continued genetics follow-up because her case was unusual for her age.

Teacher travels 600 miles for Dana-Farber care

Patient Info: Pam Zwemer, 50s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: bone, stomach lining

11+ years after her original breast cancer diagnosis, she was living with Stage IV disease after bone recurrence in 2008 and spread to the stomach lining in 2011, while continuing clinical-trial care and working as a teacher.

Dana-FarberRead more →

Stage IV Ovarian Cancer: Carolyn's Patient Story

Patient Info: Carolyn Ridge, Under 40 | Stage IV

Carolyn was dealing with an ovarian cancer recurrence diagnosed in September 2014.

Dana-FarberRead more →

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Fleur's Patient Story

Patient Info: Fleur Profinet, Female, 40s | Stage IV

As of May 2022, Fleur was living with metastatic breast cancer; she said chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and hormone therapy had made her metastases “sleep,” while fatigue, pain, and mood changes continued.

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Stage IV KRAS Colorectal Cancer: Kris's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kris Sokolowski, Male, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: KRAS mutation

Metastatic Site: Liver; sternum; spine; lymph nodes; omentum/abdominal…

As of May 2022, Kris was living with Stage IV KRAS G13D-mutant colorectal cancer. Most tumors had been stable or shrinking, but abdominal/omental disease continued to grow despite additional full-strength chemotherapy, so clinical-trial and immunotherapy options were being explored.

MD AndersonRead more →

Stage IV Lung Cancer: Shyreece's Patient Story

Patient Info: Shyreece Pompey, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Not reported

As of April 2022, Shyreece was living with Stage IV lung cancer and emphasized that speaking up in treatment decision-making helped her find the right doctor and treatment path.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Metastatic hepatoid gastric adenocarcinoma achieving complete remission with sintilimab

Patient Info: Anonymized, male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: AFP markedly elevated

Metastatic Site: liver

By the fifth sintilimab cycle, gastroscopy showed no gastric tumor, CT showed no liver metastases and AFP had normalized; complete remission was confirmed and remained stable during subsequent treatment.

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Recurrent Lobular Breast Cancer Spread to the Opposite Armpit Lymph Node

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

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

Metastatic Site: Contralateral right axillary lymph node

After surgery for the recurrence and removal of the opposite-side axillary nodes, the patient proceeded with adjuvant chemotherapy and remained in active treatment.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Cindi's Survivor Story

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

Metastatic Site: Liver; abdominal lining/peritoneum

As of March 2022, Cindi had no recurrence more than 1 year after a clinical trial with nivolumab, investigational anti-tumor vaccine, chemotherapy, and surgery produced a complete pathologic response with no living cancer cells.

Cleveland ClinicRead more →

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

Patient Info: Shyreece, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK rearrangement / ALK-positive

Metastatic Site: Brain

As of March 2022, Shyreece was a long-term Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer survivor with later brain metastases, ongoing treatment decisions, and advocacy focused on biomarker testing, trials, and disparities in Black lung cancer care.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Lung Cancer Patient Stories: Clinical Trials (& Patient Self-Advocacy!) | Shyreece’s Story (3 of 4)

Patient Info: Shyreece Pompey, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Actionable biomarker identified by biomarker testing; specific mutation not stated

Metastatic Site: Not reported

As of March 2022, Shyreece was living with Stage IV lung cancer after moving from an initial chemotherapy cocktail to an unnamed targeted therapy pill and later participating in a clinical trial.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Stage IV ALK Lung Cancer: Shyreece's Patient Story

Patient Info: Shyreece Pompey, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK-positive mutation identified by FISH testing

As of March 2022, Shyreece was living and advocating nearly 8 years after being diagnosed with Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer; this segment does not report treatment response or a remission/NED status.

The Patient StoryRead more →

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

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: Liver

As of March 2022, Loli was living with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer involving the liver and receiving clinical-trial treatment with chemotherapy every 21 days.

HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer responding to trastuzumab deruxtecan rechallenge

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: liver

After trastuzumab deruxtecan was restarted, his symptoms improved after the first cycle and imaging showed tumor shrinkage after 3 cycles. He was still receiving treatment without progression at the latest follow-up.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Caroline's Patient Story

Patient Info: Caroline McGuirk, female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: pelvic bone

Caroline continued follow-up care and regular infusions to control Stage IV inflammatory breast cancer.

Dana-FarberRead more →

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Claire's Patient Story

Patient Info: Claire Jacob, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Bone

As of February 2022, Claire was living with metastatic breast cancer involving painful bone metastases after recurrence in 2016.

YouTube (FR search)Read more →