Stage I Lung Cancer: Taylor's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Taylor, Female, Under 40 | Stage I

Taylor had a Stage IB 4 cm lung carcinoid tumor removed surgically with clean margins at age 21. She did not need chemotherapy or radiation and was 18 years post-diagnosis as of February 2026.

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Stage IV Small Cell Lung Cancer: Jennifer's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Jennifer Robertson, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Collar bones; shoulder blades; femur; pancreas;…

As of February 2026, Jennifer had shown no evidence of disease since August 2025 after tarlatamab-dlle and whole-brain radiation, while continuing tarlatamab infusions every other Monday and scans every 3 months.

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Stage IV Lung Cancer treatment and follow-up story

Patient Info: Tina Powell, Female | Stage IV

As of January 2026, Tina was 3 years into Stage IV lung cancer, on a clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and undergoing CT chest, CT pelvis, and brain MRI every 6 weeks.

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ALK-positive inflammatory myofibroblastic lung tumor: surgery and 2-year recurrence-free surveillance

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s

Biomarkers: ALK-1-positive; TPM4-ALK rearrangement; TP53 missense variant VAF 2.3%; DNMT3A frameshift mutation VAF 2.3%

She remained stable without recurrence for 2 years after complete surgical resection of an ALK-positive inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the lung.

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

Patient Info: Steven Huff, Male, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK-positive

Metastatic Site: Lungs; liver; spine; sacrum; chest lymph nodes;…

Steven had Stage IV ALK-positive NSCLC and responded well to twice-daily oral targeted therapy, with several years of stable scans and a return to teaching and family life. As of September 2025, he remained on active treatment rather than being cancer-free.

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Stage III Lung Cancer: Alexis's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Alexis, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

Biomarkers: No lung tumor biomarker reported

Alexis had Stage III pulmonary neuroendocrine/carcinoid cancer treated with removal of the entire left lung and 4 months of adjuvant pill chemotherapy. Follow-up scans after chemotherapy were clear, and her doctor called the status no evidence of disease; she continues long-term surveillance.

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Lung Cancer: Pascal's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Pascal, Male, 60s

As of the September 2024 article update, Pascal had resumed sports, felt well, and had been in complete remission for 26 months after an immunotherapy clinical trial following chemotherapy and radiation failure.

Stage 4 lung cancer: complete resection after splenectomy

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

Biomarkers: TTF-1-positive; Synaptophysin-positive; CD56-positive

Metastatic Site: spleen

No evidence of recurrence 1 year after open splenectomy/partial diaphragm resection and later R0 resection of the primary lung tumor for Stage IVB lung cancer with splenic metastasis; systemic therapy was refused.

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Stage II Lung Cancer: Ed's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Ed Ackerman, Male, 60s | Stage II

Follow-up tests and scans showed Ed was cancer-free after lung resection and 4 rounds of chemotherapy for Stage IIA lung cancer.

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Stage IV EGFR Lung Cancer: Ivy's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Ivy E., Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR mutation

Metastatic Site: Bone: elbow, cervical spine/neck, rib, pelvis; brain

As of January 2024, Ivy reported no evidence of disease 1 year after right upper lobectomy, after years of response to EGFR-targeted therapy for initially Stage IV lung cancer.

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Stage IV Lung Cancer: Deborah's Patient Story

Patient Info: Deborah Persinger, Female, 70+ | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Brain

As of January 2024, Deborah was living actively 13 years after lung cancer diagnosis, with recurrent brain metastases managed through repeated Gamma Knife radiosurgery and ongoing MRI surveillance.

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Lung cancer with limited spread, treated with a combination of therapies

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female

She remained free of recurrence for 164 months, with excellent quality of life and no neurological after-effects.

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Stage I Lung Cancer: Debra's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Debra Haberstroh, Female | Stage I

As of November 2023, Debra was 5 months after May 2023 lung tumor resection, did not need chemotherapy, was described by her oncologist as technically cured, and continued surveillance imaging.

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Rare blood-vessel-based lung tumor (epithelioid hemangioendothelioma)

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female

Biomarkers: PEH positive for CD31, ERF and TFE3

At 1-year CT follow-up, residual pulmonary nodules were stable and there were no distant metastases.

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Stage I Lung Cancer: Lauren's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Lauren, Female, Under 40 | Stage I

Biomarkers: CD56-positive; neuroendocrine tumor

As of August 2023, Lauren reported no signs of more cancer after bronchoscopy and surgery removing the right lower and middle lung lobes, with surveillance extended to yearly CT scans.

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Stage I Lung Cancer: Terri's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Terri Ann DiJulio, Female, 40s | Stage I

Biomarkers: Not reported for patient; family history of lung cancer noted

As of June 2023, Terri Ann was considered no evidence of disease after 3 early-stage lung cancer diagnoses treated with surgery and SBRT, and she had returned to 6-month follow-up while continuing advocacy and cycling.

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Lung cancer recurrence in the thyroid, initially mistaken for thyroid cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion; TTF-1-positive; Napsin A-positive; PAX8-negative; thyroglobulin staining limited to tumour cells adjacent to normal thyroid tissue

Metastatic Site: thyroid; cervical lymph nodes

After starting osimertinib for EGFR exon 19-deleted recurrent lung adenocarcinoma, he was disease free 5 months after thyroid surgery.

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Rare lung sarcoma causing repeated collapsed lungs

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage I

Biomarkers: SS18-SSX2 fusion; CD99-positive; epithelial membrane antigen-positive; TLE1-positive; BCL-2-positive

She remained well under surveillance, with no evidence of disease on imaging at 3 years after definitive lobectomy.

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Rare small cell lung cancer subtype removed by surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male

Biomarkers: Cytokeratin-negative; focal TTF-1-positive; Napsin A-negative; electron microscopy showed neurosecretory granules; EWSR1 and SS18 rearrangement testing negative

Follow-up scans found no residual, recurrent or metastatic lung cancer, and he was doing well.

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

Patient Info: Tiffany, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR mutation

Metastatic Site: Bone: pelvis, right femur, cervical spine

As of March 2023, Tiffany had benefited from Tagrisso plus Cyramza, but later CT findings suggested worsening disease and she had started a new early-stage clinical trial with results pending.

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Lung cancer first discovered through a rare nerve disorder (anti-CV2 antibody syndrome)

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male

His lower-limb strength improved within 2 weeks, and he could walk 60 m with a rollator at discharge. On alectinib, the lung cancer remained stable with no metastases identified, and repeat nerve-conduction studies also improved.

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

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

Biomarkers: ALK-positive / ALK-rearranged

As of November 2022, Dan was living with Stage IV ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer on Alectinib, with stable scans since spring 2020 and ongoing monitoring.

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Living with Stage 4 Lung Cancer (Plus Radiation & My Follow Up!) | Amy’s Story (3 of 3)

Patient Info: Amy, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: MET amplification

Metastatic Site: Bone/femur and hips; adrenal gland

As of July 2022, Amy was 3.5 years after Stage IV squamous cell lung cancer diagnosis, not NED but stable for about 3 years on Crizotinib with ongoing imaging and local treatment to lung/adrenal sites.

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

Patient Info: Shyreece, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK rearrangement / ALK-positive

Metastatic Site: Brain

As of March 2022, Shyreece was a long-term Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer survivor with later brain metastases, ongoing treatment decisions, and advocacy focused on biomarker testing, trials, and disparities in Black lung cancer care.

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