ALK-rearranged Stage IVA lung adenocarcinoma: partial response to pembrolizumab as eighth-line treatment

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

Biomarkers: ALK strongly positive by IHC 3+; ALK rearrangement confirmed by FISH; PD-L1 expression 95% by 22C3 immunostaining; CEA 2.3 ng/mL at diagnosis

Metastatic Site: brain

Nine months after pembrolizumab was started as eighth-line therapy, he maintained a partial response after prior progression on multiple ALK inhibitors and chemotherapies.

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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 IVA EGFR L858R lung adenocarcinoma with malignant effusions and thrombosis

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 21 L858R mutation; TTF-1 weak positive; Napsin A positive; p40 negative; Ki-67 about 10%

Metastatic Site: malignant pleural effusion; malignant pericardial…

As of May 2025, abdominal pain had resolved, splenic infarction had not progressed, thromboembolic events were regressing, no new thrombus formation was seen, and outpatient follow-up continued while he remained on cancer and anticoagulation management.

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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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Stage I Pleomorphic Lung Cancer Recurring With Bone Metastasis Within Five Months

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 high; no detected driver mutation

Metastatic Site: bone

PET-CT in December 2024 showed a partial response. As of February 2025, he remained on sintilimab and bevacizumab maintenance with about 9 months of progression-free survival after recurrence treatment.

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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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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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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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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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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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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 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.

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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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EML4-ALK lung cancer: complete remission on alectinib for 4 years

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

Biomarkers: EML4-ALK fusion

Metastatic Site: brain

Alectinib produced complete remission for nearly 4 years; after grade 3 colitis/ulcers, she switched to ceritinib and maintained stable tumor control without recurrent intestinal ulcers or colitis.

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

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

Biomarkers: EGFR-positive; exon 19 mentioned

Metastatic Site: brain; bones — ribs, femur/hip, clavicle

Jeff has Stage IV EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer with brain and bone metastases. Biomarker testing changed the plan from radiation/chemotherapy toward Tagrisso targeted therapy. As of March 2025, he was living with metastatic lung cancer and emphasizing hope and self-advocacy.

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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 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.

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Stage IV ALK Lung Cancer: Sydney's Patient Story

Patient Info: Sydney Barned, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK-rearranged

Metastatic Site: brain

Living with Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer. She had about 5.5 years of disease control on her first targeted therapy, then developed 3 brain metastases in September 2022 and switched to another targeted therapy. As of February 2025, she was working full-time and continuing treatment.

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Stage 4 RET-rearranged lung cancer: complete pathologic response to pralsetinib

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

Biomarkers: KIF5B-RET rearrangement; TP53 missense mutation; PD-L1-negative; CK7-positive; TTF-1-positive; Ki-67 70%

Metastatic Site: pleura, mediastinal lymph nodes, hilar lymph nodes

After pralsetinib response and surgery, pathology showed no residual viable tumor in the lung primary, pleural nodules, or sampled lymph nodes; she continued adjuvant pralsetinib.

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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.

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