Budesonide resolved severe capecitabine-related diarrhoea during rectal cancer treatment

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

The treatment-resistant diarrhoea resolved within two weeks of starting budesonide, and follow-up endoscopy and biopsies showed complete resolution of the bowel inflammation.

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Pemphigus Vulgaris After Rectal Cancer Surgery and Ileostomy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Clinicians found no evidence of residual internal malignancy during evaluation of her skin disease, and the pemphigus lesions healed after rituximab with remission maintained for 14 months.

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Colon Cancer Discovered During Emergency Surgery for Intussusception

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

She recovered from emergency surgery, was managed conservatively without chemotherapy, and continued regular follow-up after discharge to a nursing home.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Teri's Patient Story

Patient Info: Teri Griege, Female | Stage IV

Years after her 2009 Stage IV diagnosis, Teri described herself as a cancer fighter and thriver and continued endurance athletics and cancer-research advocacy.

Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Suzanne's Patient Story

Patient Info: Suzanne Kulliver, Female | Stage III

Suzanne completed colon cancer treatment in November 2015 and later reported feeling well and returning to an active routine.

Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Mike's Patient Story

Patient Info: Mike Fitzpatrick, Male, 40s | Stage III

Mike entered remission after treatment and returned to public service. He died on January 6, 2020.

Severe lung injury during panitumumab treatment for metastatic colon cancer

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

Metastatic Site: lungs, bones, pelvis

She died from respiratory failure 13 days after the onset of pulmonary symptoms. Autopsy showed diffuse alveolar damage consistent with acute respiratory distress syndrome and metastatic colon adenocarcinoma in the right lung.

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Ureter-to-Colon Fistula After Surgery for Sigmoid Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s

He recovered from repair of the postoperative ureterocolic fistula and returned to work six months after the original cancer operation, although he remained very tired.

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Metastatic Colon Cancer With KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF Mutations

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

Biomarkers: KRAS exon 3 ; NRAS exon 2 ; BRAF exon 10 ; PIK3CA exon 2 .

Metastatic Site: liver

The liver metastases progressed despite FOLFOX and bevacizumab, and he died within one year of the initial diagnosis.

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Long-term survival after surgery for colon cancer with a stomach metastasis

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

Metastatic Site: stomach

She had no signs of recurrence 7 years and 4 months after surgery and was living with good quality of life.

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Metastatic Rectal Cancer Complicated by Salmonella-Related Bowel Perforation

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

Metastatic Site: liver; lungs

Postoperative infection and wound complications delayed palliative chemotherapy, and he died from metastatic rectal cancer one year later.

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Radiation Controlled Bleeding Before Surgery for Colon Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 70+

The colectomy specimen showed no residual tumor and all 18 lymph nodes were negative, representing a complete pathologic response.

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Severe Kidney Injury During Oxaliplatin Treatment for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

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

Metastatic Site: liver

His kidney function returned to baseline 2 months after the acute injury, and colorectal cancer treatment continued with 5-FU and leucovorin after oxaliplatin was stopped.

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Colon Cancer and a Separate Liposarcoma Recurring at the Same Time

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Metastatic Site: liver|pelvic lymph node

Follow-up imaging showed no evidence of colon cancer after FOLFIRI produced a complete response in the liver and pelvic lymph node. He remained without evidence of disease 1.7 years after recurrence.

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Rectal Signet Ring Cell Cancer With Rapid, Unusual Metastatic Spread

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, Under 40 | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Metastatic Site: peritoneum|lumbosacral vertebrae|bone marrow|right…

The cancer recurred 3 months after surgery and spread rapidly to the peritoneum, bones, bone marrow, orbit, and skin. He later entered palliative care.

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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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Rectal Cancer Presenting With a Rectoprostatic Fistula

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 70+

The infection settled after drainage and antimicrobial treatment. He was discharged home with palliative support and remained relatively well at the time of reporting.

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Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treatment Complicated by Severe Lung Inflammation

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

Biomarkers: KRAS wild type; NRAS wild type

Metastatic Site: liver

He recovered from the severe treatment-related lung inflammation, was weaned off oxygen within 1 month, and continued oncology follow-up while living with Stage IV colorectal cancer.

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Rectal Cancer Spread to the Optic Nerve and Caused Vision Loss

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 40s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: BRAF mutant; KRAS wild type

Metastatic Site: lungs|liver|left optic nerve

He had a high burden of metastatic rectal cancer involving the lungs, liver, and left optic nerve. He died about 4 months after presenting with vision loss.

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Rectal Cancer With a Solitary Metastasis in the Thigh

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 40s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Metastatic Site: right proximal thigh skeletal muscle

A biopsy-confirmed right proximal thigh metastasis remained after chemotherapy. PET/CT found no other active metastatic site, and further surgery plus chemotherapy was planned.

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Bloodstream Infection in a Man With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 70+

He was living with colorectal cancer involving the liver and peritoneum after multiple chemotherapy courses and liver surgery.

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Catherine

Patient Info: Catherine | Stage III

After treatment, Catherine continues to manage bowel changes after stoma reversal and remains concerned about recurrence while focusing on family life.

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Colorectal Cancer: Michelle's Patient Story

Patient Info: Michelle

Michelle underwent partial colectomy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy after a colon tumor was found during evaluation of pain, bowel changes and blood in the stool.

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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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