EGFR-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma That Transformed to Small Cell Lung Cancer

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion; acquired EGFR T790M mutation

Metastatic Site: liver

The cancer progressed after transformation to small cell lung cancer, and she died 49 months after the original diagnosis.

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EGFR-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma That Transformed to Small Cell Lung Cancer

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion

Metastatic Site: brain, adrenal gland, liver, thyroid

The cancer progressed after small-cell transformation with adrenal, thyroid, liver and brain involvement, and she died 52.7 months after the original diagnosis from disease progression and organ failure.

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Stage III Small Cell Lung Cancer: Brian's Patient Story

Patient Info: Brian, Male | Stage III

Brian was early in treatment for Stage III limited-stage small cell lung cancer. As of February 2025, he had completed 1 round of chemotherapy, was starting concurrent radiation, and was waiting on PET scan results to assess response or spread.

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Small Cell Lung Cancer: Brian's Patient Story

Patient Info: Brian, Male, 40s

As of February 2025, Brian was actively receiving chemotherapy and twice-daily radiation for limited-stage small cell lung cancer and remained hopeful during treatment.

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Treating Lung Adenocarcinoma Alongside a Separate Esophageal Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 60s

Biomarkers: PD-L1 negative; ALK negative; no mutations detected on lung-cancer testing

By July 2024, the lung lesion remained in partial response and he was alive 36 months after the synchronous cancer diagnoses, eating well and gaining weight.

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Metastatic lung adenocarcinoma with cervical spine involvement: surgery after cord compression

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

Metastatic Site: cervical spine

Cervical spine metastatic disease caused acute spinal cord compression requiring emergency decompression and reoperation; neurologic function improved partially, but he was discharged with substantial residual disability.

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ALK-Fusion Small Cell Lung Cancer Responding to ALK-Targeted Therapy

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

Biomarkers: EML4-ALK fusion

Metastatic Site: brain

After several earlier treatments stopped controlling the cancer, ALK-targeted iruplinalkib produced a partial response and was still controlling disease after more than 8 months.

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

Patient Info: Eugenia Horan, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Eugenia became Stage IV while critically ill in the ICU and was later told hospice might be appropriate, but she started Keytruda on August 29, 2019 and was alive 5 years later. As of February 2025, she described that treatment as the medicine that saved her.

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Stage III small cell lung cancer with paraneoplastic optic disc swelling

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

Biomarkers: anti-CV2/CRMP-5 positive; anti-Hu positive

Eighteen months after diagnosis, there was no evidence of cancer recurrence. Optic disc swelling had fully resolved after steroid treatment, with preserved visual function.

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Stage IV small cell lung cancer: no abnormality after chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and TCM follow-up

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

Metastatic Site: bilateral lungs; left supraclavicular lymph nodes;…

After chemotherapy, radiotherapy, supportive care, and longitudinal TCM follow-up, imaging showed disappearance of the main lung, nodal, and intrapulmonary lesions, with no abnormality found after 4 years of follow-up.

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Limited-stage SCLC with paraneoplastic syndrome: complete response

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: SCLC markers: TTF-1 and synaptophysin positive, Ki-67 ~85%; anti-CV2/CRMP5 and anti-SOX1 antibodies positive.

Remission at 6 years after carboplatin/etoposide chemotherapy, thoracic radiation, and prophylactic cranial irradiation for limited-stage SCLC with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration.

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Stage IV Squamous Lung Cancer Complicated by an Esophageal-Mediastinal Fistula

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

Metastatic Site: brain, bone

Four months after the fistula was treated conservatively, imaging showed the fistula had resolved and the lung tumor and metastatic hilar nodes had decreased despite no additional antitumor treatment during that interval.

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Long-Lasting Pembrolizumab Response in Stage III Lung Adenocarcinoma With STK11, TP53 and RB1 Mutations

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

Biomarkers: TP53 and RB1 mutations; high tumor mutational burden; PD-L1 70%

Pembrolizumab produced a partial response within 3 months, improved his breathing and fatigue, and was continued for more than 2 years without significant immune-related toxicity.

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ALK-Positive Metastatic Lung Cancer Responding to Lorlatinib During Hemodialysis

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

Biomarkers: ALK rearrangement 80%; EGFR and BRAF negative; ROS1 negative; PD-L1 negative

Metastatic Site: brain

After about 1 year of lorlatinib, imaging was almost compatible with a complete response, brain MRI showed no active lesions, and she continued treatment with manageable high cholesterol as the main reported side effect.

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Lung Adenocarcinoma That Transformed to Small Cell Cancer After Recurrence

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 1%-24%; no druggable driver alteration identified

Metastatic Site: brain, liver

After treatment for the small-cell-transformed recurrence, the liver metastases showed sustained regression and progression-free survival had reached 13 months by September 2024.

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EGFR-Mutant Lung Cancer With Pleomorphic Transformation Treated With Local Surgery

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

Biomarkers: EGFR L858R mutation; PD-L1 less than 1% initially and greater than 75% after transformation

Metastatic Site: brain

Nine months after surgery for isolated progression, no recurrence had been seen and she remained on osimertinib.

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Doctors Assured Me It Wasn’t Cancer!

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

Biomarkers: ALK-rearranged

Metastatic Site: mediastinum, pleura

Shirley was living with Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer on a phase 2 ALK clinical trial; scans remained stable after 2 scan sets, but the large mass persisted.

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Small Cell Lung Cancer With Paraneoplastic Cushing Syndrome Treated With Immunochemotherapy

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 negative; low tumor mutation burden; microsatellite stable

Metastatic Site: liver, abdominal wall, left ilium

He lived 20 months after diagnosis. After repeated treatment responses and later progression, he died in September 2023 from respiratory and cardiac failure during a severe infection following treatment-related myelosuppression.

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Stage IV EGFR Lung Cancer: Leah's Patient Story

Patient Info: Leah Phillips, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR mutation

Metastatic Site: Not reported

As of December 2024, Leah was recovering well a few weeks after right-middle-lobe lobectomy, but remained a Stage IV EGFR-mutated lung cancer patient needing ongoing treatment and follow-up.

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Stage IV Lung Adenocarcinoma With Delayed Pembrolizumab-Related Pneumonitis

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

Metastatic Site: contralateral lung

After brachytherapy and continued pembrolizumab, imaging 1 year later showed a smaller right hilar lesion with otherwise stable disease. She later recovered from delayed pembrolizumab-related pneumonitis after immunotherapy had been stopped.

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Stage III Lung Cancer: Heidi's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Heidi, Female | Stage III

As of November 2024, Heidi was 6 years beyond her Stage IIIA lung cancer diagnosis and active in survivorship and advocacy through The White Ribbon Project; no explicit NED status was provided.

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

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion

Metastatic Site: brain, bone, left lung, kidney

As of November 2024, Filipe was living with ongoing Stage IV EGFR exon 19-mutated lung cancer after initial response to osimertinib, later progression and current amivantamab plus chemotherapy.

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Stage I lung adenocarcinoma treated with SBRT after pacemaker relocation

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

As of December 2024, CT showed complete resolution of the lung ground-glass lesion and no recurrence 4 years and 10 months after SBRT for Stage I lung adenocarcinoma, with stable pacemaker function.

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Lung Adenocarcinoma With Immune-Related Abdominal Inflammation and Later Bone Progression

Patient Info: Anonymized, male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: PD-L1 30%; KRAS G13X mutation; EGFR/ALK/ROS1 negative

Metastatic Site: bone

After several periods of response or stability, lymph-node progression recurred and bone progression was documented in July 2024. Another treatment line was being planned.

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