Radiation for Stage 4 Lung Cancer: 150 Real Stories

Stage IV Lung Cancer: Joanne's Patient Story

Patient Info: Joanne Sabol, Female, 60s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: abdomen

More than 2 years after starting pembrolizumab for recurrent Stage IV lung cancer, Joanne had an 81% tumor reduction and continued to feel well while remaining on treatment.

Memorial Sloan KetteringRead more →

Stage IV ALK Lung Cancer: Frank's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Frank Sierawski, Male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK-positive

Frank was disease-free for more than 7 years while continuing his second ALK-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor after lobectomy and brain radiation.

Stage IV ALK Lung Cancer: Michelle's Patient Story

Patient Info: Michelle, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK-positive

Metastatic Site: leptomeninges and cerebrospinal fluid / central…

Targeted therapy and proton craniospinal irradiation eliminated detectable leptomeningeal disease. Treatment side effects later passed, and Michelle continued rehabilitation.

Stage IV Lung Cancer: Carla's Patient Story

Patient Info: Carla, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: brain

After repeated resistance and a serious episode involving a brain lesion and extensive fluid around the lung, Carla recovered and was stable without new symptoms on her eighth line of treatment.

Stage IV Lung Cancer: Mary's Patient Story

Patient Info: Mary Lynn Moser, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: brain

Mary Lynn wrote this message before her death after nearly 10 years with lung cancer and more than 5 years with brain metastases, while receiving aggressive immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

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

Patient Info: Valerie Brown, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion

Valerie was stable for more than 20 months on targeted therapy for Stage IV EGFR exon 19-deleted lung adenocarcinoma.

Aggressive lung cancer with bone metastases and concurrent localized breast cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Bone: skull, spine, clavicle

The patient was still receiving carboplatin and Taxol for aggressive lung cancer with bone metastases, while her caregiver reported rapid clinical improvement, pain relief, disappearance of a visible forehead metastasis, and 1 cm reduction in a concurrent localized breast tumor.

Stage IV Lung Cancer: Thierry's Survivor Story

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

Metastatic Site: Brain

Thierry had lung cancer with a brain metastasis treated with urgent brain surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and lung tumor surgery; later he lived under close surveillance after seizures and treatment-related recovery.

Inoperable small cell lung cancer with brain metastases and treatment response

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Brain

After chemotherapy, radiation, and adjunct metabolic/complementary measures, the patient’s lung tumor shrank by 24%, later brain metastases disappeared on control scan, and arm function improved.

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

Patient Info: Bill, Male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 21 mutation

Metastatic Site: Spine; brain; hips/bone

Stage IV EGFR exon 21 lung cancer improved in brain and spine on osimertinib, but later lung-mass growth led to clinical-trial treatment; Bill remained active in advocacy and felt positive about progress.

Lung Cancer Research FoundationRead more →

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

Patient Info: Suzanne, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK mutation identified on tissue biopsy; blood biomarker test was negative

Metastatic Site: Not specified

Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer was stable for almost 4 years on alectinib before progression in mid-2023; Suzanne moved to brigatinib and radiation and was working toward stability again.

Lung Cancer Research FoundationRead more →

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

Patient Info: Amy, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Neck lymph node; bones — hips, femurs, foot; adrenal…

Living 5 years after Stage IV squamous NSCLC diagnosis, after Keytruda did not work and treatment included bone radiation, SBRT to the lung nodule, and adrenal cryoablation.

Lung Cancer Research FoundationRead more →

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

Patient Info: Maureen, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: KRAS mutation

Metastatic Site: Not reported

Living with KRAS-mutated Stage IV lung cancer after initial Stage I diagnosis, later surgery, and radiation, while remaining active in KRAS and lung cancer advocacy.

Lung Cancer Research FoundationRead more →

Laura Greco: Stage IV Lung Cancer

Patient Info: Laura Greco, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK translocation / ALK-driven; MET amplification; EGFR amplification reported in brain tumor

Metastatic Site: Brain

Laura Greco passed away on July 14, 2024 after Stage IIIA ALK-driven lung cancer later metastasized to the brain and required repeated brain-directed treatment and targeted therapy.

Lung Cancer Research FoundationRead more →

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

Patient Info: Rhonda Martin, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR-positive mutation

Metastatic Site: Brain; spine; hip bone; lymph nodes; cerebrospinal…

Rhonda Martin passed away on January 9, 2023 from complications of Stage IV EGFR-positive lung cancer, nearly 5 years after diagnosis in March 2018.

Lung Cancer Research FoundationRead more →

Long-term lung cancer control after immunotherapy-related diabetes

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

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

Metastatic Site: brain|liver

After years of disease control off pembrolizumab, a new brain lesion appeared in December 2025 and was treated with focused radiation. He remained clinically stable under oncology follow-up.

PubMed CentralRead more →

MET-Positive Lung Cancer Found After Eye Pain and Forehead Swelling

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: MET exon 14 skipping mutation

Metastatic Site: Right orbit; frontal skull/bone; left iliac bone

After 2 months of tepotinib, the primary lung lesion decreased from about 53 × 33 mm to 36 × 24 mm, metastatic sites were stable and the patient continued treatment without significant adverse events.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Lung adenocarcinoma that spread to the thyroid 9 years later

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

Metastatic Site: thyroid

After the thyroid metastasis was removed, she started systemic chemotherapy and remained under oncology management.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Long-term lung cancer response complicated by immune-related lung inflammation

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

Biomarkers: KRAS mutation; PD-L1 90%

Metastatic Site: pleura|lungs|peritoneum|bone|brain

By October 2025, the lung inflammation had resolved and she remained in systemic and intracranial remission.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Complete response to pembrolizumab despite treatment-related lung inflammation

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 70%

Metastatic Site: pleura|bone

By November 2025, serial imaging continued to show a complete response without disease progression.

PubMed CentralRead more →

HER2-mutated lung cancer: restarting targeted therapy after lung inflammation

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

Biomarkers: HER2 exon 20 insertion; PD-L1 negative

Metastatic Site: brain

Trastuzumab deruxtecan was restarted successfully after lung inflammation improved, but it was discontinued after 9 cycles when the cancer progressed.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV EGFR Lung Cancer: Shannon's Survivor Story

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

Biomarkers: EGFR mutation; TP53 mutation

Metastatic Site: cervical spine (C1/C2 and C4/C6), liver

As of June 2026, Shannon described no evidence of active disease: visible tumors were gone, the original lung mass had decreased from 10.8 cm to a 3.8 cm cavity, and targeted therapy continued to suppress possible remaining cells.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Stage IV EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma: high-dose furmonertinib after CNS progression

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

Biomarkers: Initial EGFR L858R mutation. Later blood testing showed EGFR p.S553Y variation; CEA rose and fell with treatment.

Metastatic Site: brain/meninges; bilateral pleura/lungs; mediastinal…

As of June-September 2024, the left lung lesion was stable to slightly smaller on escalated furmonertinib, but brain/CNS lesions had progressed and required dose escalation to 240 mg/day; later imaging was declined.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV EGFR-mutated lung cancer responds after targeted therapy intolerance

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

Biomarkers: EGFR L858R mutation; PIK3CA E545K mutation; acquired ROS1 rearrangement

Metastatic Site: pleura|pericardium|bone|lungs

Chemotherapy produced a partial response that remained sustained for 7 months at the latest follow-up.

PubMed CentralRead more →