Etoposide for Ovarian Cancer: 12 Real Stories

Ovarian Cancer Metastatic to an Axillary Lymph Node Without Breast Disease

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

Biomarkers: BRCA1/2 negative

Metastatic Site: right axillary lymph node

Secondary cytoreductive surgery in April 2025 achieved complete macroscopic cytoreduction, and she was discharged without complications.

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Young Woman With Rare Small Cell Ovarian Cancer and Abdominal Recurrence

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, Under 40 | Stage III

Biomarkers: loss of SMARCA4 expression; retained SMARCB1 expression

The recurrent cancer continued to progress despite further chemotherapy, and she died at home 26 months after the initial diagnosis.

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Rare Ovarian Neuroendocrine Cancer Treated With Surgery and Chemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 40s

Biomarkers: somatic BRCA2 mutation; MSI-H; high tumor mutational burden; germline BRCA2 negative

CT imaging and CA-125 follow-up showed no evidence of recurrence over 2 years.

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Small Cell Ovarian Cancer Causing Acute Kidney Injury

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage III

Biomarkers: Somatic SMARCA4 alterations; no germline SMARCA4 pathogenic variant

Combined pembrolizumab, carboplatin, and paclitaxel was continued after marked radiologic improvement, with an excellent PET-CT response documented after 13 cycles.

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Growing Masses After Chemotherapy for an Ovarian Germ Cell Tumor

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, Under 40

Biomarkers: AFP 581.2 ng/mL and CA-125 74.3 U/mL after surgery

Despite 6 chemotherapy cycles and normalization of AFP, abdominal and pelvic masses continued to grow while CA-125 and CEA increased. She sought a second opinion and underwent imaging and biopsy of an abdominal mass.

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Immature Ovarian Teratoma Followed by Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female

Biomarkers: AFP 67.6 ng/mL; CA-125 89 at presentation

After 4 cycles of chemotherapy, her neurological deficits fully recovered and she could walk independently, with mild stuttering improving through speech therapy.

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Employee, ovarian cancer survivor: Why I chose MD Anderson

Patient Info: Angela Hernandez, female, Under 40 | Stage III

She had been cancer-free since January 2019 after surgery and 4 rounds of carboplatin and etoposide.

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Stage I Ovarian Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumor in a 19-Year-Old

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, Under 40 | Stage I

She was continuing adjuvant chemotherapy 4 months into treatment without major reported complications.

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Mixed Ovarian Germ Cell Cancer in an 18-Year-Old

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, Under 40

At both 3-month and 6-month follow-up, she had no evidence of recurrence.

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Ovarian Dysgerminoma Treatment Followed by Bleomycin-Related Skin Changes

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, Under 40

A 23-year-old woman treated for ovarian dysgerminoma developed persistent streak-like skin darkening after bleomycin-containing chemotherapy.

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Rare Ovarian Choriocarcinoma Treated With Surgery and Chemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, Under 40

Her hCG level normalized during chemotherapy, and she remained without evidence of disease 5 years after diagnosis.

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Recurrent Ovarian Cancer With Severe Kidney Injury During Long-Term Treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 60s

Despite severe chronic kidney disease, later chemotherapy produced some regression of the progressing ovarian cancer with each sequential regimen.

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