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.

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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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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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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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 Survivor Story

Patient Info: Leslie Medley-Russell, female

Biomarkers: CA-125 elevated at recurrence

After treatment for the January 2017 recurrence, she had no evidence of disease at the time of the story.

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Stage II BRCA1 Ovarian Cancer: Barb's Patient Story

Patient Info: Barb White, female, 50s | Stage II

Biomarkers: BRCA1 mutation

Barb completed chemotherapy in June 2014 and later described being able to move forward after treatment.

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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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Stage I Ovarian Granulosa Cell Tumor Found Alongside Colon and Adrenal Cancers

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

More than 2 years after diagnosis, she had no sites of recurrence or metastatic disease and continued gynecologic oncology surveillance.

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Ovarian Cancer: Allison's Patient Story

Patient Info: Allison Bellevue, Under 40

After completing chemotherapy, Allison gave birth to a healthy son and later underwent removal of her right ovary.

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Ovarian Adenosquamous Cancer Treated With Surgery and Chemotherapy

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

Five and a half years after chemotherapy, she remained free of recurrence.

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Rare Ovarian Sertoli-Leydig Tumor With Rhabdomyosarcoma Tissue

Patient Info: Anonymized, 70+ | Stage I

Seven months after surgery, she returned with widespread recurrent disease and severe complications, including pulmonary embolism and right-sided heart failure, and died 15 days after admission while receiving palliative care.

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Ovarian Cancer With Severe Dermatomyositis During Treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 60s | Stage III

Biomarkers: BRCA1 mutation

She continued paclitaxel and carboplatin while being treated for severe dermatomyositis and later described herself as finally on the mend.

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Stage I Ovarian Squamous Cell Cancer Found in a Long-Standing Dermoid Cyst

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

At 22 months after treatment, she had no clinically identifiable recurrence.

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Stage I Ovarian Squamous Cell Cancer Found After Abdominal Pain and Urinary Retention

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

At 21 months after surgery, she had no clinically identifiable recurrence.

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Ovarian and Endometrial Cancers Diagnosed at the Same Time in a 34-Year-Old Woman

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, Under 40

Five months after surgery, she was being followed with clinical review, tumor markers, and imaging surveillance.

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Metastatic Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Causing Severe Pulmonary Hypertension

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 70+ | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: pleura, pulmonary arteries

She died on hospital day 29 after rapidly progressive pulmonary hypertension. Autopsy attributed the pulmonary hypertension to metastatic ovarian serous carcinoma with pulmonary arterial tumor emboli.

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