Stage III MSI-High Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Briana's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Briana Ghbein, Under 40 | Stage III

Biomarkers: MSH2 mutation, dMMR/MSI-H

Postoperative pathology after her 2024 treatment showed no evidence of disease.

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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 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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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 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 Colorectal Cancer: Albita's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: Described as wild type; no hereditary genetic marker reported

Metastatic Site: liver

Albita had Stage IV colon cancer with liver metastases. As of April 2025, the only active cancer she described was still in the liver, with 3 spots remaining after chemotherapy, radiation, liver resection, hysterectomy/colon surgery, ileostomy, and ongoing/planned liver-directed treatment.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Rachael's Patient Story

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

Metastatic Site: Ovaries; liver

As of January 2025, Rachael had completed intensive chemotherapy for Stage IV sigmoid colon cancer involving the ovaries and liver and was awaiting scans to determine whether liver surgery and HIPEC would be next.

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How I Found Out I Had Stage 4 Colon Cancer!

Patient Info: Rachael Marie, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: ovaries, liver

Rachael completed 12 cycles of FOLFOX/oxaliplatin; colonoscopy looked clear, liver lesions had shrunk, and no new lesions were reported, with further surgical planning pending.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Jessenia's Patient Story

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

As of September 2024, Jessenia had completed major treatment steps and was adapting to the physical and emotional effects of treatment, including a temporary colostomy; a clear remission/NED status was not stated.

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Colorectal Cancer: Paula's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Paula Chambers Raney, Female

Biomarkers: Lynch syndrome negative; broad hereditary panel with no genetic markers reported

As of August 2024, Paula was a 9-year colorectal cancer survivor with no recurrence reported after surgery.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Zykeisha's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Zykeisha Law, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver; lung

As of April 2024, Zykeisha was back in remission after Stage IV colorectal cancer, recurrence involving lung and liver, additional chemotherapy, and multiple major surgeries; her last treatment was in April 2021.

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Liliana Bolaños

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Linda's Patient Story

Patient Info: Linda Hartong, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: liver

Linda was feeling well enough to continue treatment after right liver resection and 10 chemotherapy cycles, with further surgery and 2 final cycles planned.

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Pembrolizumab and surgery for metastatic dMMR colorectal cancer with major response

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

Biomarkers: dMMR/MSI-H; MLH1 loss; PMS2 loss; BRAF/RAS wild type; RET::NCOA4 fusion; MLH1 promoter hypermethylation

Metastatic Site: non-regional lymph nodes

Surgery showed a major pathological response with less than 10% viable tumor. Pembrolizumab was restarted after surgery, and no relapse had been documented.

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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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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Amy's Survivor Story

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

Biomarkers: Lynch syndrome

As of April 2023, Amy had no evidence of disease after Stage IIIB Lynch syndrome-associated colorectal cancer treatment, with clear scans/tumor-residue testing and ongoing Lynch syndrome surveillance.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Lori's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Lori | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: ovary

After a September 2024 recurrence and surgery in October, Lori said she was in remission and was being monitored with monthly blood work.

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Severe immune thrombocytopenia during treatment for metastatic colon cancer

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

Biomarkers: KRAS-mutated; microsatellite stable; BRAF-wild type.

Metastatic Site: bilateral ovaries; pelvis; peritoneum; mesenteric…

After multiple metastatic recurrences and treatment changes, she died from progressive colon cancer; oxaliplatin had been permanently stopped after antibody-confirmed immune thrombocytopenia.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Colorectal Cancer: Theresa's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Theresa Cotton, Female, 40s

As of January 2017, Theresa was cancer-free for more than 5 years after colorectal cancer treatment that included complete hysterectomy, permanent colostomy, chemotherapy and 28 radiation treatments.

Cleveland ClinicRead more →