CAPOX for Colorectal Cancer: 14 Real Stories

Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Haley's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Haley Pollack, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

Years into survivorship after Stage IIIC colon cancer treated with surgery, CAPOX chemotherapy, and a recurrence-prevention clinical trial; later continued trial follow-up and advocacy for parents with cancer.

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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 cecum cancer with liver and ovarian metastases: ramucirumab-related nephrotic syndrome and glomerular microangiopathy

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

Biomarkers: Cancer biomarkers were not reported. Kidney injury workup showed severe protein leakage and biopsy-proven glomerular microangiopathy.

Metastatic Site: liver, right ovary

The liver metastasis shrank after XELOX plus bevacizumab and metastatic liver/ovarian sites were resected, but ramucirumab-based second-line therapy was stopped after nephrotic syndrome and severe glomerular microangiopathy; blood pressure and proteinuria improved with telmisartan.

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Paul: Stage III Colorectal Cancer

Patient Info: Paul, Male | Stage III

As of October 2024, Paul was in active care for Stage III rectal cancer with CAPOX chemotherapy, planned radiation, and eventual surgery.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Paul's Patient Story

Patient Info: Paul Klug, Male | Stage III

As of October 2024, Paul was on the final day of round 4 of 5 planned chemotherapy rounds, with chemoradiation and possible resection surgery still ahead.

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Stage IV Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Nick's Patient Story

Patient Info: Nick Sprague, Male, 40s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: distant lymph nodes in abdomen/near aorta and left…

As of July 2024, Nick was living with Stage IVA colon cancer and receiving Keytruda/pembrolizumab with fewer side effects than chemotherapy; no NED status had been reached.

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Colorectal cancer: using a blood test (ctDNA) to guide immunotherapy after surgery — Case 1

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 50s

Biomarkers: KRAS ; TMB 11 mutations/Mb; loss of MLH1 and PMS2; dMMR/MSI-H; germline multigene panel negative; ctDNA positive after surgery and chemotherapy

Pembrolizumab cleared ctDNA within about 3 months. After completing 1 year of immunotherapy, surveillance CT showed no evidence of disease and ctDNA remained negative.

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Colorectal cancer: using a blood test (ctDNA) to guide immunotherapy after surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 40s

Biomarkers: dMMR/MSI-H; pathogenic germline MLH1 c.1459C>T consistent with Lynch syndrome; postoperative ctDNA rose during chemotherapy and became near-undetectable on pembrolizumab

He continued pembrolizumab with no evidence of disease on interval CT and near-undetectable ctDNA. Grade 1 thyroiditis was monitored without treatment interruption.

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Hidden colon cancer first discovered through a rare brain/nerve inflammation

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage II

At 1 year he was asymptomatic and off treatment, with no neurological deficits and a normal repeat PET scan.

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How I Found Out I had Colon Cancer: I Wrote Off All My Symptoms

Patient Info: Haley P., Female, Under 40 | Stage III

As of March 2023, Haley had completed surgery, CAPOX chemotherapy, and 3 years of daily recurrence-prevention trial pills, with ongoing low-touch trial follow-up and no active recurrence described.

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Colorectal Cancer: Barbara's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Barbara, Female, 40s

As of October 2021, Barbara described life after completed colon-cancer treatment, including survivorship, parenting, and a stronger perspective; recurrence was not described in this edited video.

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Oxaliplatin-Related Muscle Breakdown During Colorectal Cancer Treatment

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

Biomarkers: CEA 1.01 ng/mL; CA 19-9 <0.6 U/mL

He recovered fully from rhabdomyolysis, completed adjuvant capecitabine, and entered follow-up without evidence of cancer recurrence.

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HER2-amplified metastatic colon cancer treated with afatinib after several therapies

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

Biomarkers: RAS wild-type; BRAF wild-type; HER2 amplification; HER2 mutation

Metastatic Site: liver|abdominal wall|lung

After multiple treatment lines and a 3-month period of stable disease on afatinib, the cancer progressed again. He died in January 2018 from severe lung infection and kidney failure.

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Stage III Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Anne's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Anne, Under 40 | Stage III

Anne was declared cancer-free in December 2017 and reports doing well 7 years after treatment.

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