Chemotherapy for Stage 4 Lung Cancer: 243 Real Stories

243 stories match lung cancer, stage 4 and chemotherapy. 133 of them mention immunotherapy.

Cancer Stories

Florence, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV Lung Cancer: Florence's Patient Story

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

Metastatic Site: Brain

As of the September 2024 article update, Florence was living with metastatic lung cancer, traveling every 3 weeks for immunotherapy in a clinical trial, and reported less fatigue, more energy, and a return to sports and social life.

CancerConsult (FR)
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage 4 lung LCNEC: major response to chemotherapy plus immunotherapy

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

Biomarkers: Large-cell neuroendocrine lung cancer markers were positive. PD-L1 was negative

Metastatic Site: left adrenal gland

By July 2024, PET-CT showed complete metabolic response of the adrenal metastasis, no visible adrenal disease, no pulmonary recurrence, and no distant metastasis after immunochemotherapy, lobectomy, adjuvant therapy, and serplulimab maintenance.

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

Stage 4 lung cancer: stable disease on immunotherapy combination

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

Biomarkers: TP53, and MSH2 mutations; PD-L1 locally positive; Ki-67 20%; ALK negative. Markers otherwise supported lung cancer.

Metastatic Site: left atrium, right adrenal gland, skull; hilar and…

Stage IVB NSCLC remained clinically stable during carboplatin, pemetrexed, and tislelizumab, but treatment was stopped because of financial and psychological burden; later cancer status was not reported.

PubMed Central
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

ALK-positive lung cancer spreading to both breasts after years of targeted therapy

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

Biomarkers: ALK-positive, ALK mutation

Metastatic Site: bilateral breasts

At age 51, about 10 years after his Stage IV diagnosis, he remained alive with stable disease 8 months after removal of bilateral breast metastases while continuing maintenance therapy.

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

Stage 4 small-cell lung cancer: complete response on durvalumab

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

Metastatic Site: pericardial effusion; left supraclavicular lymph node

As of July 2024, she had clinical complete response after chemoimmunotherapy and chest radiation, improving immune-related bone changes, and ongoing durvalumab maintenance every 4 weeks.

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

Stage 4 lung cancer with brainstem metastasis: complete remission on chemotherapy

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

Metastatic Site: pons, right parietal lobe, brain

Stage IV NSCLC with pontine and right parietal brain metastases achieved complete remission after 2 years of chemotherapy with an anti-VEGF drug; the pontine lesion remained stable, and severe SRS-related central neuropathic pain improved after methadone escalation.

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

EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma transforming to small cell lung cancer during targeted therapy

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion, TP53 mutation, TMB 11 mut/Mb

Metastatic Site: cervical lymph nodes

At the last follow-up in February 2024, 32 months after diagnosis, she was alive and both the primary lung lesion and cervical lymph-node metastasis had decreased on combined chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

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

Stage 4 small cell lung cancer: response to carboplatin, etoposide, and atezolizumab

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

Biomarkers: CD56-positive; synaptophysin-positive

Metastatic Site: right hilar/mediastinal disease, left adrenal gland,…

Extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer presenting with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction improved after 3 cycles of carboplatin, etoposide, and atezolizumab, with PET response and symptomatic improvement; longer-term durability was not reported.

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

Stage 4 lung cancer: immunotherapy plus particle therapy halts progression

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 90%; high tumor mutational burden; PIK3CA ; TP53 mutation; MET mutation

Metastatic Site: left proximal femur

Stage IV oligometastatic NSCLC had good CT response to carboplatin, pemetrexed, and pembrolizumab, then no disease progression 6 months after PULSAR radiotherapy plus pembrolizumab; grade 2 pneumonitis improved with prednisone.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Squamous Cell CarcinomaLung Cancer

Lung squamous cell carcinoma spreading to bone and intestine

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 positive in almost all tumor cells

Metastatic Site: bone (left femur), intestine, abdomen

Despite chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation, the lung cancer progressed with intestinal and extensive abdominal metastases, cachexia and gastrointestinal bleeding. Palliative care was planned, but he chose discharge and received no further treatment.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage IV PD-L1-negative lung adenocarcinoma: complete response with nivolumab and ipilimumab

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1-negative; no targetable molecular alterations on DNA/RNA next-generation sequencing; TP53 alteration reported at 66%

Metastatic Site: left pleural effusion; right adrenal gland;…

As of February 2024, she remained on maintenance nivolumab and ipilimumab after 14 cycles, without significant toxicity and with persistent complete response of Stage IV PD-L1-negative lung adenocarcinoma.

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

Stage 4 lung cancer: complete response to chemo-immunotherapy combo

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

Metastatic Site: right hilar lymph nodes, mediastinal lymph nodes

Stage IVA lung squamous cell carcinoma achieved complete response at 12 months. Pembrolizumab was stopped after immune-related RS3PE and likely colitis; 8 months after glucocorticoid initiation, there was no relapse of lung cancer or RS3PE.

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

Near-complete response to osimertinib in Stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with rare EGFR mutations

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

Biomarkers: EGFR S768I mutation, PD-L1 TPS 2%

Metastatic Site: pleura, bone, lymph nodes

After progression on vinorelbine and carboplatin, osimertinib produced a metabolic complete response by December 2023 and a near-complete radiologic response in March 2024. He remained on osimertinib with good tolerance and stable clinical condition.

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

Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Lenny's Survivor Story

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 expression positive

Metastatic Site: right femur; brain/cerebellum

As of July 2024, Lenny described himself as NED/no evidence of disease after surgery, CyberKnife radiation, chemotherapy, and Keytruda-based immunotherapy.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Five-year survival with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer on atezolizumab

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

Metastatic Site: bilateral lungs, cervical lymph nodes

Five years after diagnosis with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, he was alive and well on maintenance atezolizumab with no further documented progression after the 2020–2021 rechallenge, reaching 60 months overall survival and about 44 months progression-free survival.

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

EGFR-mutated lung cancer with later small-cell transformation

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

Biomarkers: EGFR L858R mutation; acquired EGFR T790M mutation

Metastatic Site: pleura/chest wall, ribs, brain, meninges,…

Disease progressed through multiple lines of therapy with brain and meningeal involvement. He died in September 2021, more than 9 years after his original 2012 diagnosis.

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

Stage IVA lung adenocarcinoma with solitary brain metastasis: pCR after brain surgery, chemoradiation, immunotherapy, and lobectomy

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 75%; negative for driver gene mutations and translocations

Metastatic Site: brain

As of May 2024, he had no recurrence after brain metastasis resection and radiation, carboplatin/pemetrexed/atezolizumab, robot-assisted right upper lobectomy with pathologic complete response, and 13 cycles of maintenance atezolizumab.

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

Stage 4 lung adenocarcinoma: complete response on immunotherapy combination

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: No targetable mutation found. Tissue showed TP53/ARID1A; liquid biopsy added KEAP1, and SMARCA4. PD-L1 not evaluable.

Metastatic Site: bilateral lung nodules, left adrenal gland

As of May 2024, metastatic lung adenocarcinoma had a complete radiologic response lasting more than 14 months on pembrolizumab maintenance, and a new PET-avid lung nodule was benign inflammation rather than cancer.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED