Growing teratoma syndrome after ovarian germ cell tumor treatment: Case 2

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

Biomarkers: AFP and beta-hCG elevated

After surgery and completion of chemotherapy in January 2025, she was without disease and her tumor markers were normal.

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Durable response after multiple treatments for ovarian clear cell cancer

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

Biomarkers: HRD-positive; BRCA-negative; ARID1A mutation; PD-L1 CPS 30

She achieved a complete response, completed maintenance immunotherapy in May 2024, and continued anlotinib with normal follow-up imaging and tumor markers.

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Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Angela's Patient Story

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

Angela Hernandez was 32 when persistent bloating and a hard area found during a well-woman exam led to a Stage III ovarian cancer diagnosis.

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Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Carla's Patient Story

Patient Info: Carla Peoples, female, 60s | Stage III

Carla Peoples was 65 when months of increasingly severe abdominal bloating and hardening led to a Stage III ovarian cancer diagnosis.

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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 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.

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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Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Jaclyn's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jaclyn (Jackie) VanRaaphorst | Stage III

Biomarkers: FRα-positive; CA-125 monitored

AACR later reported that Jackie died on January 16, 2025.

Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Karoline's Patient Story

Patient Info: Karoline Strauss, female | Stage III

After resuming etigilimab and nivolumab, the patient felt markedly better; by the eighth infusion, some tumors had disappeared and others were shrinking, and treatment was continuing.

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Stage IIIC Ovarian Cancer Found During Preoperative Screening

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage III

Biomarkers: BRCA1 pathogenic variant on homologous recombination deficiency testing; germline BRCA1 pathogenic variant

At approximately 1 year after surgery, she was alive without evidence of recurrence while continuing olaparib and bevacizumab maintenance therapy.

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Stage III Ovarian Cancer During Care for Common Variable Immunodeficiency

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage III

She remained alive on maintenance bevacizumab, with no radiologic evidence of ovarian-cancer progression.

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Stage IIIC Primary Ovarian Leiomyosarcoma Treated With Debulking Surgery and Chemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage III

Biomarkers: SMA positive; caldesmon positive; Ki-67 15%–20%; p53 negative

She recovered from extensive cytoreductive surgery, reported resolution of her symptoms, and began planned adjuvant Adriamycin and ifosfamide.

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Stage III BRCA Ovarian Cancer: Mimi's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Mimi Gallagher, 40s | Stage III

Biomarkers: BRCA-positive

Mimi was cancer-free after surgery and 4 months of intraperitoneal chemotherapy, completed in December 2012.

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Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Margaret's Patient Story

Patient Info: Margaret Winchester | Stage III

Margaret experienced recurrent small ovarian tumors, underwent cryoablation, and had recently completed another clinical trial while continuing her work.

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Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Karen's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Karen Howley LaCamera, 50s | Stage III

The REGN4018 clinical trial put Karen’s ovarian cancer into remission, which had lasted nearly a year when the story was written, with follow-up every 6 weeks.

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Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Jackie's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Jackie Page, Female, 50s | Stage III

In remission with no sign of recurrent disease at the September 2020 publication, while continuing treatment on the clinical trial.

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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 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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Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Dianne's Patient Story

Patient Info: Dianne Simpson, female, 70+ | Stage III

Dianne completed treatment in April 2017 after chemotherapy, hysterectomy and a pembrolizumab clinical trial and was looking ahead to survivorship.

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