Ovarian Cancer: Kimberly's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Kimberly Richardson, 50s

Kimberly described living with no evidence of disease while undergoing frequent tumor-marker surveillance because granulosa cell tumors can recur.

Ovarian Cancer: Stacy's Patient Story

Patient Info: Stacy Saravo, female

After treatment, Stacy was active in survivorship, peer support, patient education, hiking, and scent-work activities with her dog.

Ovarian Cancer: Jamie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jamie, female, Under 40

By age 28, Jamie was rebuilding physical strength after two surgeries and had trained as an OCRA peer mentor.

Ovarian Wilms tumor arising in a mature cystic teratoma

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, Under 40

Biomarkers: WT1-positive; PAX8-positive

After the diagnosis was revised to ovarian Wilms tumor, she was advised to see a gynecologic oncologist but did not return for follow-up.

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Ovarian Wilms tumor with early abdominal recurrence

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, Under 40

Biomarkers: WT1-positive; residual tumor MyoD1-positive

After 3 months of radiation and a further 3 months of chemotherapy, PET showed no FDG-avid malignancy.

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Ovarian cancer that later spread to an axillary lymph node

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

Metastatic Site: axillary lymph nodes

After later peritoneal progression, additional treatment brought the disease to a stable state through her last recorded visit in July 2019.

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Ovarian cancer presenting with axillary lymph-node spread

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

Metastatic Site: axillary lymph nodes

A 39-year-old woman with high-grade serous ovarian cancer had confirmed spread to an axillary lymph node at diagnosis and underwent extensive cytoreductive surgery.

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Stage IV ovarian cancer with axillary lymph-node spread

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

Metastatic Site: axillary lymph nodes

A 58-year-old woman with ovarian serous carcinoma and axillary lymph-node spread received chemotherapy, cytoreductive surgery, and postoperative chemotherapy.

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Stage III BRCA1 Ovarian Cancer: Patty's Patient Story

Patient Info: Patty Klein, Female | Stage III

Biomarkers: BRCA1 mutation

Patty was able to continue the olaparib plus BKM120 clinical trial as long as her tumor remained controlled. She later died.

Stage I Ovarian Cancer: Mary's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Mary “Dicey” Jackson Scroggins, 40s | Stage I

Nearly 2 decades after treatment, Dicey remained free of ovarian-cancer recurrence.

Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Angela's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Angela Hernandez, female | Stage III

After completing chemotherapy, follow-up appointments continued to confirm that she was cancer-free.

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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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Stable Brain Metastases During Niraparib Maintenance for Ovarian Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: CA-125 4019 kU/L; pathogenic germline BRCA1 mutation

Metastatic Site: brain

After 17 months of niraparib, her brain metastases remained stable. She had a performance status of 0 and reported a full, normal quality of life.

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Ovarian Cancer Relapse Causing Fluid Around the Heart

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: PAX8 positive; CK7 positive; WT1 positive; p53 positive; ER positive; PR negative; isolated PMS2 loss; MSH2 retained; MSH6 retained; MLH1 retained; two BRCA1 variants of uncertain significance

Metastatic Site: omentum|pericardium

She was alive after completing chemotherapy for the pericardial relapse and was receiving olaparib maintenance. The fluid around the heart did not recur immediately after the surgical window.

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Small Cell Lung Cancer: Tabby's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Tabby Soignier, female, Under 40

A December 2011 CT scan and lab work showed Tabby was cancer-free; she continued regular follow-up and later conceived naturally and gave birth to a healthy son.

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Stage IV Ovarian Cancer With Severe Recurrent Ascites

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: peritoneum|liver

The cancer progressed with massive ascites, liver involvement, and respiratory failure. She died from multiorgan failure related to metastatic ovarian cancer.

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BRCA Ovarian Cancer: Dena's Patient Story

Patient Info: Dena Svoboda, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: BRCA mutation

Nearly 4 years after surgery and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy, Dena’s cancer had not recurred, and she continued intravenous chemotherapy every 5 weeks with minimal side effects.

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Recurrent Ovarian Cancer With Dermatomyositis and Peritoneal Progression

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Her disease progressed during weekly paclitaxel, and she was considered unfit for further treatment.

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Advanced Ovarian Cancer Presenting With Dermatomyositis

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: CA-125 3169 at diagnosis; later CA-125 rise with progression

After a partial response to second-line chemotherapy, nodal disease progressed again 5 months later and liposomal doxorubicin was planned.

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Ovarian Cancer With Pleural Spread and Recurrent Dermatomyositis

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Metastatic Site: pleura

She had symptomatic improvement after 2 cycles of carboplatin and liposomal doxorubicin for recurrent disease.

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Stage IV Ovarian Cancer: Janelle's Patient Story

Patient Info: Janelle Kister, female | Stage IV

Treatment ended, and Janelle was still doing well 17 years after her Stage IV ovarian cancer diagnosis.

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Stage IV ovarian cancer presenting as a persistent umbilical ulcer

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

Metastatic Site: bilateral cardiophrenic lymph nodes

She recovered from extensive cytoreductive surgery without major abdominal or pulmonary complications and began adjuvant paclitaxel and carboplatin on postoperative day 25.

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Stage IV Ovarian Cancer With 20 Years of Tumor-Free Survival

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

Biomarkers: BRCA1 negative, BRCA2 negative

Metastatic Site: peritoneum, liver, right adrenal gland

Regular follow-up found no recurrence or other tumor, and at 20 years of follow-up she remained tumor-free with good health and quality of life.

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Ovarian Cancer: Leslie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Leslie Medley-Russell, female

She was receiving chemotherapy for a second ovarian cancer diagnosis while continuing to train and compete in endurance events.

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