Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Joanna's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Joanna, Female | Stage III

As of June 2026, Joanna’s story emphasized survivorship after Stage III rectal cancer, with major themes of delayed diagnosis, fertility preservation, radiation/chemotherapy planning, and the emotional recovery that followed treatment.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Catherine's Patient Story

Patient Info: Catherine, Female | Stage III

Catherine had a complete pathological response after chemoradiation and surgery for Stage III rectal cancer, then continued adjuvant Xeloda/oxaliplatin while waiting for post-treatment scans before accepting an NED label.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jackie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jackie, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Lynch syndrome

Metastatic Site: Not reported

Jackie’s Stage IIIB rectal cancer later recurred as Stage IV/metastatic disease, but early immunotherapy response was strong, with no visible tumor on MD Anderson sigmoid scope about 6 weeks after starting treatment.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Maria's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Maria, Female | Stage III

Maria’s PET scan came back clear after 7 months of chemotherapy, 7 weeks of radiation, and surgery for Stage IIIC rectal cancer, but she described herself as still under surveillance with blood tests every 6 months and not cancer-free until 5 years.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Ken's Patient Story

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

Metastatic Site: Liver

As of May 2026, Ken was more than 3 years into Stage IV colorectal cancer. He was not cancer-free or NED, but described the disease as minimal and manageable with surveillance, maintenance chemotherapy/targeted therapy, and occasional ablation.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Ben's Patient Story

Patient Info: Ben Schultz, Under 40 | Stage III

Ben achieved a complete response and, 6 years later, remained on watch-and-wait surveillance with regular scans.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Carrie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Carrie, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: ovaries; uterus; retroperitoneal/behind-kidney tumor

As of May 2026, Carrie had recurrent Stage IV signet ring cell colon cancer after a prior no-evidence-of-disease period and was receiving more aggressive chemotherapy plus radiation after surgery for a tumor behind the kidney.

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Stage IV rectal mucinous adenocarcinoma with pancreatic metastasis: response to chemotherapy and staged surgery

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

Biomarkers: CA 19-9 93.4 U/mL; CEA 3.4 ng/mL; pancreatic lesion biopsy consistent with colorectal origin

Metastatic Site: pancreas

As of May 2026, he had good clinical progress during 5 months of follow-up after staged treatment, including chemoradiation, FOLFOX, abdominoperineal resection, FOLFIRINOX, and Whipple resection of the pancreatic metastasis.

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Rectal cancer that spread through the lungs: complete remission after BRAF-targeted therapy

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

Biomarkers: BRAF mutation; HER2-negative; microsatellite stable; no detectable KRAS or NRAS mutations

Metastatic Site: lungs (pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis);…

After progression with recurrent lung metastases and a new pericardial effusion, she chose hospice care and died in February 2025, 19 months after diagnosis.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Lawrence's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Lawrence Henry, Male, 50s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Lung; abdominal lymph nodes

As of May 2026, Lawrence had no evidence of disease on scans since November, no blood-test signs of recurrence, was off colon cancer treatment, and returned to UT MD Anderson every 3 months for checkups.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Jeffrey's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Jeffrey, Male | Stage III

As of May 2026, Jeffrey reported no evidence of disease, while remaining careful about surveillance language and managing lasting neuropathy after treatment.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Kristen's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Kristen, Female | Stage III

Completed active treatment for Stage III colon cancer and entered survivorship while managing permanent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain.

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Stage IV RET-fusion transverse colon cancer: partial response to selpercatinib after capecitabine progression

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

Biomarkers: Colon cancer had RET fusion, KRAS copy-number gain, low TMB, and no KRAS/NRAS/BRAF hotspot mutations.

Metastatic Site: liver

As of May 2026, she remained on reduced-dose selpercatinib with tolerable toxicity, substantial partial response in liver metastases and the primary tumor, and progression-free survival exceeding 14 months.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Nathan's Survivor Story

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

Metastatic Site: Liver; peritoneal membrane

Declared tumor-free after aggressive treatment for Stage IV colon cancer, including colectomy, FOLFOX chemotherapy, and HIPEC, while continuing to live with treatment effects, an ileostomy, neuropathy, and scan anxiety.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Mariana's Patient Story

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

Metastatic Site: Ovary; abdominal wall/peritoneum

Ongoing treatment for Stage IV colon cancer with good response during chemotherapy, allowing oxaliplatin to be stopped while continuing treatment every 2 weeks.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: David's Patient Story

Patient Info: David, Male | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver; lung; tailbone/bone

Had clear scans after multiple treatments for recurrent Stage IV colon cancer, but a later positive Signatera test suggested possible microscopic disease and more treatment was being planned.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Helen's Survivor Story

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

Metastatic Site: Liver; pelvis

No active tumors / no evidence of disease after liver-directed treatment, liver surgery/ablation, colon resection, and hysterectomy, though she personally described herself as living with cancer and still planned cleanup treatment.

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My STAGE 4 Colon Cancer was Revealed by a Routine Blood Test! (NO SYMPTOMS!)

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

Metastatic Site: Liver; lungs

Stage IV colon cancer with liver and lung metastases responded strongly to FOLFIRINOX-based chemotherapy, with tumor reduction over 70%, no detectable lung cancer on testing, and ongoing maintenance chemotherapy for remaining liver disease.

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Stage III Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Meagan's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Meagan, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

In remission after surgery and 6 months of FOLFOX for high-risk Stage IIIC sigmoid colon adenocarcinoma, with ongoing 6-month scan monitoring and survivorship challenges including scanxiety and neuropathy.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Kalei's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kalei, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Lungs

Living with Stage IV rectal cancer after lung metastases were treated surgically; later imaging raised concern for possible recurrence in the lung and rectal area, but lymph-node biopsy was clear and further workup was ongoing.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: David's Survivor Story

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

Metastatic Site: Liver; lymph nodes near the heart

As of March 2026, David showed no evidence of cancer after Stage IV colorectal cancer with liver and near-heart lymph node metastases, following chemotherapy, tumor and lymph-node surgery, liver-directed radiation, radioembolization, and liver transplant.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Joe's Patient Story

Patient Info: Joe, Male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Specific biomarkers not reported

Metastatic Site: Liver; lymph nodes; lungs

Stage IV colon cancer initially reached no evidence of disease after FOLFOX plus panitumumab, but later recurred in the liver and lymph nodes, progressed to the lungs, and did not respond to later FOLFOX rechallenge or FOLFIRI before he started an immunotherapy clinical trial.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Alyssa's Patient Story

Patient Info: Alyssa Kelly, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver; lung

More than 4 years after pregnancy-associated Stage IV colorectal cancer, Alyssa was alive with her son, but after more than 1 year off chemotherapy she had several lung tumors, restarted chemotherapy, and was looking into clinical trials.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Mike's Patient Story

Patient Info: Mike Ray, Male, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Lynch syndrome

Metastatic Site: Liver

As of March 2026, Mike had recovered quickly from a May 2025 liver transplant after about 2.5 years of cancer-control treatment for liver-metastatic colon cancer with Lynch syndrome, and he had returned to running, weight training, and triathlon goals.

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