Chemotherapy for Stage 4 Lung Cancer: 217 Real Stories

217 stories match lung cancer, stage 4 and chemotherapy. 119 of them mention immunotherapy.

Cancer Stories

A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Metastatic lung squamous cell carcinoma: no recurrence after chemoimmunotherapy and pembrolizumab maintenance

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion; PD-L1 TPS 95%; TTF-1-negative; p40-positive

Metastatic Site: mediastinal lymph nodes; bilateral lung nodules

As of April 2025, PET/CT 3 years after treatment initiation showed no sign of recurrence after carboplatin, nab-paclitaxel, pembrolizumab, and 2 years of pembrolizumab monotherapy.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Metastatic lung adenocarcinoma: pembrolizumab response complicated by pulmonary arterial hypertension

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

Biomarkers: CK7-positive; TTF-1-positive; p40 focally positive; high tumor mutational burden; no targetable mutations identified

Metastatic Site: right axillary lymph node; right hilar lymph nodes;…

As of April 2025, the patient was tolerating single-agent pemetrexed without evidence of lung cancer progression, while pulmonary arterial hypertension symptoms had improved on riociguat and macitentan.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Small Cell Lung Cancer That Spread to the Ear Canal

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

Metastatic Site: external auditory canal, middle ear, pancreas, bone

The metastatic lesions initially shrank and his hearing and ear pain improved, but he died 15 months after diagnosis.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

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.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

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.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Luna, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage IV ROS1 Lung Adenocarcinoma: Luna's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: ROS1 rearrangement; EGFR negative; ALK negative

Metastatic Site: liver; bones

Luna had Stage IV ROS1-positive lung adenocarcinoma with liver and bone metastases. After progression on initial chemotherapy, crizotinib led to tumor shrinkage and controlled her cancer for almost 12 years as of March 2025.

The Patient Story
OutcomeResponding Well
Rosemary, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

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.

Dana-Farber
OutcomeStable Disease
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

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.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

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.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

HER2 exon 20 metastatic lung adenocarcinoma with pathologic complete response after chemoimmunotherapy and surgery

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

Biomarkers: HER2 exon 20 insertion lung adenocarcinoma with TP53 mutation, PD-L1 TPS 50%, and low TMB.

Metastatic Site: contralateral lung

Right lower lobectomy with radical lymphadenectomy in November 2023 showed pathologic complete response, and no additional therapy was offered after surgery.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage 4 lung adenocarcinoma with RET fusion responding to pralsetinib

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

Biomarkers: RET fusion

Metastatic Site: pleura

As of March 2025, he had recovered from grade 3 Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, restarted pralsetinib, and had no progressive disease or recurrence of adverse events over 13 months.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage 4 lung cancer: managing pembrolizumab-induced myasthenia gravis

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

Biomarkers: Anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody elevated; TSH elevated during immune-related adverse event workup; cancer biomarkers not reported

At 9 months after the immune-related myasthenia gravis presentation, lung cancer remained in complete response while she continued low-dose prednisolone, pyridostigmine, levothyroxine, and nighttime NIV.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage 4 small cell lung cancer with paraneoplastic neurological syndrome

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

Biomarkers: Paraneoplastic antibody panel positive for anti-Hu, anti-AMPH, anti-Ri

Metastatic Site: left axillary lymph nodes

Over 2 years of follow-up, CT showed stable complete response, tumor markers stayed normal, no new metastases appeared, and neurological symptoms did not worsen.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Fatal Multiorgan Failure After Pembrolizumab-Based Treatment for Metastatic Lung Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, female | Stage IV

She died less than 12 hours after hospital presentation with rapidly progressive multiorgan failure one week after the first pembrolizumab-based treatment cycle; immune-related toxicity was strongly suspected, although the rapid decline limited full evaluation.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Lung Adenocarcinoma With Rare Skin Metastasis to the Neck

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

Metastatic Site: neck skin

The lung cancer later spread to the neck skin, and he died during the following year after stopping further treatment.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer With ERBB2 and TP53 Mutations

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

Biomarkers: ERBB2 exon 20 Y772-A775dup mutation; TP53 mutation; PD-L1 TPS 0%

Metastatic Site: liver, bone, both lungs

Imaging after treatment showed stable disease, and he remained in good condition while continuing maintenance pemetrexed and bevacizumab.

PubMed Central
OutcomeStable Disease
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

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.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
Eugenia, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

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.

The Patient Story
OutcomeResponding Well