'How I knew I had ovarian cancer’: Survivors and caregiver discuss symptoms

Patient Info: Susan, female | Stage IV

Susan’s husband later shared her experience after her death, recalling the sudden abdominal swelling that preceded her Stage IV ovarian cancer diagnosis.

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Malignant Struma Ovarii With Abdominal and Liver Metastases Treated With Radioactive Iodine

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 40s

Biomarkers: TTF-1 positive; thyroglobulin positive; Ki-67 approximately 1-5%; CA-125 1238.9 IU/mL at presentation

After approximately 5 years of follow-up, thyroglobulin remained steady and her condition was considered stable.

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Ovarian Cancer Surgery Complicated by Infective Endocarditis After Splenectomy

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 50s

After ovarian-cancer surgery, she developed intestinal obstruction and infective endocarditis and later died from septicemia.

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Ovarian Cancer Remission With Olaparib After Chemotherapy Intolerance

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

Biomarkers: germline BRCA1 mutation

At 48 months, imaging showed complete remission and CA125 was normal while she continued reduced-dose olaparib.

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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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Stage I Immature Ovarian Teratoma With a Benign Teratoma in the Other Ovary

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

Biomarkers: AFP 90 ng/mL at diagnosis; CA-125 within normal range

Follow-up imaging showed no recurrence, and she remained well under regular oncologic surveillance after chemotherapy was stopped early.

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Ovarian Cancer: Serena's Patient Story

Patient Info: Serena, female

Eight years after her first ovarian-cancer diagnosis in 2017, Serena was living with cancer after a second recurrence and continued to attend treatment with close family support.

Ovarian Clear Cell Cancer Developing From Endometriosis During Pregnancy

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, Under 40

Biomarkers: Napsin A positive; Ki-67 about 20%

A 33-year-old pregnant woman had ovarian clear cell carcinoma develop from a previously observed endometriotic cyst and underwent unilateral ovary-and-tube removal.

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Stage IV Ovarian Cancer: Evelyn's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Evelyn, female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HRD-positive

After chemotherapy and surgery, Evelyn reported an unremarkable final scan in May 2023 and then completed 2 years of Lynparza maintenance therapy guided by HRD-positive tumor testing.

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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Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Shelly's Patient Story

Patient Info: Shelly Sepulveda, Female, 40s | Stage III

Living with recurrent ovarian cancer and receiving weekly intravenous chemotherapy after a brief remission.

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Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Mary's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Mary Catherine Riley, Female, 40s | Stage III

After a 2023 recurrence, Mary achieved a complete response within 1 year on avutometinib and defactinib. She continues the approved combination with quarterly CT scans and monthly labs and has no evidence of disease.

Ovarian cancer treated with chemotherapy and repeat pelvic surgery after recurrence

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, Under 40

She improved after the repeat pelvic surgery and postoperative care and was discharged home.

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Ovarian Cancer: Angela's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Angela Hernandez, Under 40

By February 2025, she had been cancer-free for 6 years and remained connected to post-cancer care and support.

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Advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer with treatment-resistant progression and hyperprolactinemia

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: BRCA1 variant of uncertain significance

The ovarian cancer continued to progress despite multiple treatments, and she died 2.5 years after the ovarian-cancer diagnosis.

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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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Stage III BRCA1 Ovarian Cancer: Carla's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Carla Peoples, female | Stage III

Biomarkers: BRCA1 mutation

She was cancer-free after surgery and 6 rounds of chemotherapy and continued olaparib maintenance with CA-125 blood testing every 3 weeks.

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Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Rachel's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: CEA 125 reported as 1800

After surgery, Rachel learned she had Stage III ovarian cancer and was beginning to process the diagnosis with her family.

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Ovarian Cancer: Lissa's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Lissa Fancher

At the latest update, the patient had no evidence of disease, tumor markers had dropped significantly, and daily hormone therapy was being used to reduce recurrence risk.

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Ovarian cancer lung metastasis followed by a benign staple-line granuloma

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

Metastatic Site: lung

More than 10 years after her original ovarian-cancer surgery, a mass near the prior lung-metastasis staple line was surgically removed and proved to be a benign epithelial granuloma rather than recurrent cancer.

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Ovarian Cancer: Shraddha's Patient Story

Patient Info: Shraddha Pandey

Ten years after diagnosis, Shraddha described herself as an ovarian cancer survivor and an advocate for cancer awareness.

Fertility-Sparing Treatment for Ovarian Immature Teratoma in a Young Woman

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage I

After fertility-sparing surgery, she remained disease-free under surveillance and later conceived naturally, completing a healthy term pregnancy.

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Ovarian Cancer Spreads to the Breast During Platinum-Resistant Recurrence

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

Biomarkers: BRCA1/2-negative; HRD-positive; PD-L1-positive; folate receptor alpha-positive

Metastatic Site: right breast, right axillary lymph nodes, cervical…

She remained alive with stable disease about 2 years after the breast metastasis was diagnosed while receiving seventh-line mirvetuximab-soravtansine.

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Stage IV Ovarian Cancer: Susan's Patient Story

Patient Info: Susan Dunwoody, female | Stage IV

Susan lived for 7 years after her Stage IV ovarian cancer diagnosis and later died from the disease.

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