Stage IV ALK Lung Cancer: Kathrin's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kathrin, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK-positive

Metastatic Site: bones including left foot, liver, abdomen/belly

Kathrin had Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer with metastases including left foot/bone, liver, and abdomen. Radiation and targeted therapy worked quickly, with PET imaging after about 8 weeks showing almost everything gone; she remained on lifelong targeted therapy and did not describe being cured.

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Stage IV small-cell lung cancer: complete response after chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy

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

Biomarkers: especially at recurrence. PD-L1 was not reported.

Metastatic Site: liver; right hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes

As of January 2, 2024, she was alive with overall survival exceeding 95 months and complete response after treatment for recurrent small-cell lung cancer.

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Extensive-stage small cell lung cancer with brain and adrenal progression after prolonged disease control

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

Biomarkers: Small-cell lung cancer markers included CD56, CgA and TTF-1; Ki-67 was 80%.

Metastatic Site: brain, right adrenal gland, left adrenal gland

After 31 months of stability on second-line anlotinib with palliative chemoradiotherapy, disease progressed in July 2024 with new brain lesions and adrenal progression; the patient declined additional systemic options and continued anlotinib.

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Metastatic NSCLC with ATM mutations: 28-month response to olaparib before progression

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

Biomarkers: cfDNA showed ATM and ATM mutations. Common NSCLC drivers were negative; initial tumor markers were negative.

Metastatic Site: liver, left pubic bone, bilateral pulmonary nodules,…

After 28 months of remission and improved quality of life on olaparib, June 2024 PET-CT showed progression with a new 1.2 cm hypermetabolic left lower-lobe pulmonary nodule; olaparib was still being continued at the October 2024 clinic visit.

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Stage IV Large-Cell Neuroendocrine Lung Cancer Controlled for Nearly Four Years With Multiple Treatments

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 high initially; no actionable driver mutation; later PD-L1 5%

Metastatic Site: liver, bones

After several partial responses across multiple treatment lines, she entered hospice and died on December 13, 2024, after an overall survival of 47 months.

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Aggressive Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma With Tumor Extension Into the Heart

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 50s

Biomarkers: PD-L1 high

The cancer progressed rapidly despite treatment, and he died 3 months after diagnosis and 2 months after starting chemotherapy and pembrolizumab.

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Limited-stage small cell lung cancer with no recurrence after 14 years

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s

Biomarkers: SCLC markers: CD56/TTF-1 positive. Essential thrombocythemia had JAK2 . Cancer predisposition gene testing was negative.

More than 14 years after limited-stage SCLC diagnosis, surveillance imaging confirmed no recurrence, while essential thrombocythemia remained controlled with weekly Pegasys.

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Stage IV EGFR Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Jenny's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jenny Apple, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 20 mutation

Metastatic Site: brain

Jenny Apple had nonsmoking lung adenocarcinoma with an EGFR exon 20 mutation. Her cancer was first found at Stage IIIA / near IIIB and later progressed to Stage IV with brain metastases. She died before the June 2025 story from her husband Kyle.

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Stage IV Lung Adenocarcinoma With KRAS Mutation Responding to Immunotherapy and Anti-Angiogenic Treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: KRAS mutation; MET amplification

Metastatic Site: pleura

By the December 2023 follow-up, the pleural effusion had disappeared, the primary lung tumor had not progressed, and he was described as symptom-free and in good health on maintenance treatment.

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ALK-rearranged lung adenocarcinoma: sustained partial response on reduced-dose crizotinib after renal cysts

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

Biomarkers: ALK gene translocation positive in >15% of tumor cells by FISH

As of June 2025, the lung cancer remained in partial response without progression on reduced-dose crizotinib, while crizotinib-associated renal cysts had markedly regressed.

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Stage IV ALK Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Alisa's Patient Story

Patient Info: Alisa Secaida, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK-positive / ALK-rearranged

Metastatic Site: Brain; lymph nodes

As of May 2025, after alectinib and lung surgery, pathology still showed active tumor and lymph-node cancer cells, and Alisa was receiving IMRT for remaining disease.

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Small-cell lung cancer: complete response complicated by radiation bronchial injury and adrenal recurrence

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

Metastatic Site: left adrenal gland

As of May 2025, the initial lung and mediastinal disease had achieved complete response, but the patient developed severe radiation-related bronchial injury and later left adrenal metastasis requiring renewed systemic chemotherapy.

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Stage IV EGFR Lung Cancer: Natasha's Patient Story

Patient Info: Natasha, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR-positive

Metastatic Site: brain

Natasha had Stage IV EGFR-positive lung cancer with brain metastases. Tagrisso/osimertinib was her main treatment, but a new brain metastasis later appeared and was treated with Gamma Knife. As of May 2025, she was awaiting follow-up MRI while continuing care.

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Small-cell lung cancer with anti-GABAb paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis: complete response after radiochemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: CSF anti-GABAb antibodies positive

As of May 2025, follow-up imaging after combined radiochemotherapy showed complete resolution of the right hilar lung mass and right medial temporal hypermetabolism, and the patient had no further seizures.

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How We Got Here: 6 Young Lung Cancer Patients & Their Paths To Surgery- Part 1

Patient Info: Leah Phillips, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion

Metastatic Site: bone (pelvis; spine; ribs)

As of April 2025, Leah was living with Stage IV EGFR exon 19 deletion lung cancer while continuing Tagrisso after SBRT and right middle lobe lobectomy.

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Stage IV Lung Adenocarcinoma Presenting as Persistent Chest Pain and Rib Metastasis

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

Biomarkers: TP53 mutation; PD-L1 30%; no sensitive driver mutation identified

Metastatic Site: bone

After delayed diagnosis of Stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with a painful rib metastasis, he began systemic immunotherapy and local treatment for the painful bone lesion.

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Metastatic SMARCA4-Deficient Lung Cancer Controlled for More Than Two Years With Tislelizumab and Fruquintinib

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 8%; no target-sensitive mutation identified

Metastatic Site: left adrenal gland, cervical lymph nodes

After radiotherapy reduced the cervical-node metastasis, imaging on April 26, 2024 showed stable disease. He ended trial treatment after 2 years and continued regular follow-up.

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Lung cancer with a rare kidney inflammation, successfully treated with steroids and radiation

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

Biomarkers: EGFR mutation-negative; TTF-1-positive; CK7-positive; CK20-negative

Radiation produced significant tumor regression, and he remained alive without progression of lung cancer or kidney disease for 5 years after discharge.

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Stage 4 ALK-rearranged lung cancer: complete response with alectinib and SBRT

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: EML4-ALK fusion, EGFR wild type. Later tumor: EGFR L858R/T790M and TP53 L194R, without ALK rearrangement.

Metastatic Site: pleura, lymph nodes

As of March 2025, the original ALK-rearranged metastatic disease had responded to alectinib, the separate EGFR-mutant right upper-lobe lesion had responded to SBRT, and PET-CT showed no hypermetabolic lung lesion.

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Stage 4 SMARCA4-deficient lung cancer: ongoing treatment response

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

Biomarkers: SMARCA4-deficient lung cancer with BRG-1 loss, CK/CK7 positive, Ki-67 >40%. CEA

Metastatic Site: sigmoid colon, left adrenal gland

After colon metastasis surgery, continued radiotherapy, and later gemcitabine/nedaplatin/bevacizumab/camrelizumab for adrenal metastasis, the cancer showed a favorable response with no further recurrence or new metastasis reported.

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Stage II Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma Complicated by Immunotherapy-Induced Cutaneous Lupus

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

Imaging showed a treatment response. After radical radiotherapy, camrelizumab was discontinued because of immune-mediated subacute cutaneous lupus, and the lung cancer was placed under active monitoring.

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Metastatic lung adenocarcinoma: complete remission on nivolumab complicated by immune-mediated diabetes

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

Biomarkers: Lung tumor: EGFR wild type, ALK rearrangement not detected. Immune-mediated diabetes: islet/GAD antibodies negative and C-peptide undetectable.

Metastatic Site: brain (cerebellum and occipital lobe); liver

As of March 2025, serial CT and MRI scans through October 2023 showed no evidence of oncologic disease after nivolumab, while immune-mediated diabetes was controlled with basal-bolus insulin.

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Stage IV KRAS Lung Cancer: Rosemary's Patient Story

Patient Info: Rosemary Conway, female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: KRAS mutation

After 14 months on daraxonracib in a clinical trial, Rosemary’s Stage IV lung cancer had stopped growing and she had returned to walking and lifting weights.

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Stage I lung adenocarcinoma treated with SBRT while protecting a leadless pacemaker

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

SBRT was completed without complications or detected pacemaker malfunction.

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