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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Colon cancer recurrence at a surgical drain site

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male

He recovered well after abdominal-wall excision and was followed every 3–6 months, with no clinical signs of further recurrence or metastasis.

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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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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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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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Stage IV rectal cancer treated with multiple chemotherapy lines during hemodialysis

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

Biomarkers: RAS mutation; BRAF wild type

Metastatic Site: liver

Modified FOLFOX was stopped after 6 cycles because the metastatic rectal cancer progressed.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Jelena's Survivor Story

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

As of January 2024, Jelena was on annual follow-up after Stage III rectal cancer treatment, with her latest colonoscopy showing no polyps or suspicious findings.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jason's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jason Reese, Male, 40s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver

As of January 2024, Jason still had active Stage IV rectal cancer, but extensive liver metastases had decreased from innumerable lesions to very few visible on scans, and treatment planning continued.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jim's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jim Bromwich, Male, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Lung

As of January 2024, he had completed focused radiation to an isolated lung nodule and was awaiting follow-up scans; another tiny lung nodule was being monitored but was not PET-avid.

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Rectal signet ring cell cancer with an unusual metastasis into a lipoma

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

Metastatic Site: subcutaneous abdominal wall lipoma, peritoneum

Peritoneal carcinomatosis developed during adjuvant FOLFOX. Second-line chemotherapy was proposed, and he died 12 months later.

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Metastatic Colorectal Cancer With Leucovorin Hypersensitivity During Cetuximab-FOLFOX Treatment

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

Biomarkers: EGFR mutation detected; no KRAS, NRAS or BRAF mutations detected

Metastatic Site: lung

After 18 cycles of cetuximab plus FOLFOX, her metastatic colorectal cancer was stable and treatment continued with modifications for leucovorin hypersensitivity.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jeff's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jeff Williams, Male, 50s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver; lungs

As of December 2023, Jeff was living with recurrent Stage IV colorectal cancer, had recently developed more lung tumors, continued chemotherapy locally every 2 weeks, and returned to UT MD Anderson every 3 months for scans.

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Colon cancer surgery complication: fistula after extensive pelvic surgery and radiation

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: upper vaginal wall; lungs

She remained alive after treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer and recovered without clinical fistula recurrence at 1- and 2-month postoperative follow-up.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Barbara's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Barbara, Female, 40s | Stage III

As of November 2023, Barbara described herself as a colon cancer survivor in year 4 after surgery and chemotherapy, continuing surveillance scans and living with scan anxiety and lasting treatment effects.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Amanda's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Amanda Peters, Female, 40s | Stage III

Biomarkers: No genetic markers reported

As of September 2023, Amanda reported no recurrence about 3 years after Stage IIIB rectal cancer surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy, with surveillance CT scans now yearly.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Keith's Patient Story

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

Metastatic Site: Liver; lymph nodes; lungs

As of September 2023, Keith was on third-line treatment for Stage IV colon cancer with lung metastases, small lung lesions under 1 cm, a low tumor marker after 2 rounds, and possible trial/transplant options after standard care.

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Rectal Cancer Treated With Radiation, FOLFOX and Surgery in a Woman With a Separate Breast Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 60s

Surgery showed only minimal residual rectal adenocarcinoma with clear margins, and later follow-up described both of her cancers as appearing in remission.

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Colorectal cancer causing severe hip/back pain and kidney swelling

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 expression retained; metastatic cells CK20-

Metastatic Site: distant lymph nodes; left psoas muscle /…

He had active metastatic colorectal cancer with malignant psoas syndrome; his condition worsened after the second palliative FOLFOX cycle and chemotherapy was discontinued.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Michelle's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Michelle Cappel, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Lynch syndrome negative; no hereditary genetic markers reported

Metastatic Site: Ovary

As of July 2023, Michelle had achieved no evidence of disease after FOLFOX chemotherapy and 12-hour surgery for Stage IV colorectal cancer with ovarian metastasis, while continuing to live with scan anxiety and surveillance.

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My Colorectal Cancer Story: How I Changed My Diet After Cancer

Patient Info: Angelica Allen, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

As of June 2023, Angelica was all-clear after 5 years following Stage III bowel cancer treatment and described survivorship changes in diet, exercise, rest, stress, and emotional healing.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Angelica's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Angelica Allen, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

As of June 2023, Angelica had received her 5-year all-clear after Stage III bowel cancer treatment; later colonoscopy surveillance was reassuring and a liver cyst had disappeared.

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My Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer Story: How I Never Lost Hope

Patient Info: Jason Randall, Male | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver; lungs; bone/sacrum

As of June 2023, Jason had a negative Signatera test, CT scans showing 9 months with no evidence of disease, and about 2.5 years off chemotherapy after Stage IV colorectal cancer treatment and lung ablation.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Bart's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Bart Wilson, Male, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver

As of May 2023, Bart had shown no evidence of disease for almost 3 years after surgery, FOLFOX, portal vein embolization, extended right hepatectomy, and adjuvant capecitabine for Stage IV colon cancer with liver metastases.

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I was in Disbelief When I got Colon Cancer

Patient Info: JJ Singleton, Male, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Lynch syndrome

Metastatic Site: Abdominal wall; lymph nodes

After surgery and 12 rounds of FOLFOX, JJ had a clean scan and colonoscopy, but about 6 weeks later cancer recurred outside the colon with spread to the abdominal wall and lymph nodes.

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