Targeted Therapy for Stage 4 Lung Cancer: 213 Real Stories

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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MET Y1003N-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma Responding to Tepotinib

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

Biomarkers: MET mutation

Metastatic Site: bone

Tepotinib produced an 8-month response after many earlier treatments, but the cancer later recurred and she died about 3 years after treatment began.

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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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Stage IV ALK Lung Adenocarcinoma: Shirley's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: ALK mutation

As of December 2024, Shirley was living with Stage IV ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma and had stable disease on a fourth-generation ALK inhibitor clinical trial that began in July 2024.

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How Clinical Trials Helped Me Fight Stage 4 Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK-positive / ALK-rearranged

Metastatic Site: Not specified

As of December 2024, this anonymized patient described living 10.5 years with Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer and said her current clinical-trial treatment was working, with tumors shrinking.

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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 lung adenocarcinoma: ROS1 fusion detected after immunotherapy resistance and partial response to entrectinib

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

Biomarkers: Initial lung adenocarcinoma markers supported lung origin; PD-L1 <1%, no target found at first. Later testing found CD74-ROS1 fusion.

Metastatic Site: brain, bilateral lung lesions

As of December 2024, repeat imaging after entrectinib showed partial response in lung disease and regression of brain metastases, with the patient stable and willing to continue treatment.

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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 ROS1 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Ashley's Survivor Story

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

Biomarkers: ROS1-rearranged

Metastatic Site: spine/bone

As of December 2024, Ashley described herself as having no evidence of active disease while continuing nightly ROS1-targeted therapy.

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Metastatic EGFR-positive lung adenocarcinoma: osimertinib cardiomyopathy managed with SGLT2 inhibitor support

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

Biomarkers: EGFR-positive; specific EGFR sequence variant not reported in extracted case text

As of December 2024, he remained clinically stable and asymptomatic 12 months after osimertinib rechallenge with empagliflozin, losartan, metoprolol, and close cardiac monitoring; the extracted case focuses on cardiotoxicity management rather than tumor response.

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Stage IV ALK Lung Cancer: Amanda's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: ALK-rearranged

Metastatic Site: pleural fluid, right clavicle lymph node

As of December 2024, Amanda had lived with Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer for about 2 years and was taking 8 targeted-therapy pills daily.

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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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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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Stage 4 ALK-positive lung cancer: remission on lorlatinib

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

Biomarkers: ALK-positive rearrangement; TTF-1-positive

Metastatic Site: bilateral lungs, mediastinal lymph nodes, bone, liver,…

Metastatic ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma remained in radiologic and clinical remission on lorlatinib after CNS progression on earlier ALK-directed therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery.

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Stage I Lung Adenocarcinoma With Later Kidney Metastases Responding to Osimertinib

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

Biomarkers: EGFR L858R mutation; RB1 mutation; MAP3K1 mutation; PD-L1 negative

Metastatic Site: kidneys, peritoneal lymph nodes

Osimertinib produced a partial response within 6 weeks after metastatic recurrence in the kidneys. She remained alive and continued targeted treatment.

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Stage IV EGFR-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma With Severe Respiratory Failure Responding to Almonertinib

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion

Within days of starting almonertinib, lung abnormalities improved enough for extubation. A March 2024 PET-CT showed satisfactory disease control with a partial response, and outpatient follow-up was ongoing with good performance status.

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Metastatic Lung Cancer With Morphine-Induced Fever During Palliative Radiation

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

Metastatic Site: brain, bone

She remained on dacomitinib while receiving radiation for painful metastatic disease in 2022. After morphine was identified as the cause of recurrent fever and stopped, her symptoms resolved and she was discharged in satisfactory condition.

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

Patient Info: Lindsay Wagner, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK-positive mutation / ALK rearrangement

Metastatic Site: brain; liver; bone; kidneys; lungs;…

As of September 2024, Lindsay was still on lorlatinib/Lorbrena with her lungs, liver, and kidneys described as stable, while isolated brain/bone areas were treated with radiation and monitored.

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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.

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EGFR exon 19 deletion lung cancer: gefitinib after osimertinib toxicity

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion

As of August 2024, Stage IVB EGFR exon 19 deletion lung adenocarcinoma was being treated with gefitinib after osimertinib-induced grade 3 interstitial lung disease; ILD had not recurred, and low-dose prednisolone continued.

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Stage 4 EGFR-mutant lung cancer controlled on gefitinib after osimertinib intolerance

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 21 L858R mutation

As of August 2024, Stage IVB EGFR L858R lung adenocarcinoma was being treated with gefitinib after grade 3 osimertinib-induced interstitial lung disease; the cancer had not progressed when steroids were completed and ILD had not recurred on gefitinib.

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Stage IV MET exon 14 NSCLC: savolitinib response complicated by recurrent drug-induced liver injury

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

Biomarkers: MET exon 14 skipping mutation

As of June 2024, low-dose savolitinib 100 mg/day with hepatoprotective medications maintained tumor shrinkage/stable disease without recurrent liver function deterioration.

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

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion

Metastatic Site: bone (spine, pelvis); malignant right pleural…

As of July 2024, Leah remained on daily Tagrisso with stable Stage IV EGFR-mutated lung cancer, no reported progression, healing/sclerotic bone metastases, and durable response for more than 4 years.

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