Chemotherapy: 1,904 Real Stories

1,904 stories match chemotherapy. 1,436 of them mention surgery.

Cancer Stories

Nicole, who was diagnosed with Stage II Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage II Breast Cancer: Nicole's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Nicole Grogan, Female, 40s | Stage II

Nicole completed surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and the exercise trial, and had no evidence of disease at her July 2019 appointment.

Memorial Sloan Kettering
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Jim, who was diagnosed with Breast CancerBreast Cancer

HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Jim's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jim Keegan, Male, 70+

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; BRCA1/BRCA2 negative

Jim completed surgery, chemotherapy and 1 year of Herceptin for early-stage HER2-positive male breast cancer, then continued tamoxifen and yearly MSK surveillance while advocating for male breast cancer awareness.

Memorial Sloan Kettering
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Michelle, who was diagnosed with Stage I Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage I Breast Cancer: Michelle's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Michelle Kang, Female, Under 40 | Stage I

Biomarkers: Hormone-positive breast cancer; no suspicious inherited genetic mutation reported

Michelle was 6 years cancer-free after Stage 1B hormone-positive breast cancer while continuing hormone therapy, Zometa, Signatera blood testing, reconstruction follow-up, and survivorship monitoring.

City of Hope
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Amanda, who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphomaNon-Hodgkin lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Amanda's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Amanda Salas, Female

Amanda achieved remission after 6 rounds of continuous 5-day chemotherapy and became a public advocate for lymphoma awareness, survivorship, and blood donation.

City of Hope
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Sexual safety during FOLFOX treatment for Stage III rectal cancer

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

A 54-year-old woman with Stage III rectal cancer raised a practical sexual-health question while receiving FOLFOX, leading to direct measurement of oxaliplatin exposure in vaginal secretions.

PubMed Central
OutcomeNot reported
Cookie, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage III Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Cookie's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Cookie Joe, female | Stage III

Biomarkers: triple-negative

More than 5 years after her April 2021 diagnosis, she remains cancer-free (since December 2022) and continues breast-cancer advocacy, fundraising, and blood-donation efforts.

MD Anderson
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal AdenocarcinomaColorectal Cancer

Stage IV colon cancer with a lung infection mimicking new metastases

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

Biomarkers: KRAS wild-type; NRAS wild-type; BRAF wild-type; microsatellite stable; HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: liver

The colon primary and liver metastases achieved a partial response and were later assessed as stable with continued shrinkage. New lung nodules regressed with fluconazole, supporting pulmonary cryptococcosis rather than new cancer spread.

PubMed Central
OutcomeStable Disease
Jennifer, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Jennifer's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jennifer Feinberg, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: brain

8+ years after her initial breast cancer diagnosis, she was living with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer with brain metastases and receiving trastuzumab as her tenth line of treatment.

Dana-Farber
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

HER2-positive breast cancer complicated by severe anemia during chemotherapy

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

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-positive; germline BRCA1 likely pathogenic mutation

At 4.5-year follow-up, she remained free of breast-cancer recurrence and had no recurrence of the severe treatment-related anemia.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Elizabeth, who was diagnosed with Stage II Ovarian CancerOvarian Cancer

Stage II Ovarian Cancer: Elizabeth's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Elizabeth Jardinella, Female, Under 40 | Stage II

Cancer-free for about 2 years, with surveillance scans continuing to show no evidence of disease while she takes maintenance letrozole.

MD Anderson
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage II Lung Squamous Cell CarcinomaLung Cancer

Delayed adrenal insufficiency after lung cancer immunotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 60s | Stage II

Imaging and bronchoscopy in November 2024 showed no lung-cancer recurrence or metastasis. By June 2026, he had not experienced another adrenal crisis while continuing hormone replacement.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Gastric AdenocarcinomaGastric Cancer

Durable complete remission after brain metastases from gastric cancer

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

Biomarkers: HER2-low, PD-L1 CPS 5

Metastatic Site: brain

By July 2024 the brain lesions had completely resolved, and complete remission remained sustained through October 2025, with more than 38 months off anticancer treatment.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

More than 5 years living with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma after stepwise molecular testing

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

Biomarkers: HER2 amplification, EGFR L858R mutation, PD-L1 <1%

Metastatic Site: brain, lung

As of April 2026, she remained on gefitinib with no active tumor lesions after complete regression of lung metastases, more than 5 years (66 months) after her original diagnosis.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Breast Squamous Cell CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Complete response after chemotherapy for metaplastic breast cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: ER-negative; weak PR-positive; HER2-negative

Surgery found no residual invasive or in situ breast cancer, and all 3 sentinel lymph nodes were negative, confirming a pathologic complete response.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Lorna, who was diagnosed with Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Colorectal Cancer: Lorna's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lorna Brunelle, Female, 50s

Completed chemotherapy and surgery and continues oncology follow-up while using her experience to advocate for colorectal screening.

Dana-Farber
OutcomeNot reported
Tiffany, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Tiffany's Patient Story

Patient Info: Tiffany Andrews, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; ER-negative at recurrence

Metastatic Site: lungs|brain

Tiffany is living with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer and continues treatment through a clinical trial after progression in the lungs and brain.

MD Anderson
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Naomi, who was diagnosed with Stage II Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage II Breast Cancer: Naomi's Patient Story

Patient Info: Naomi Arbel-Brodd, Female | Stage II

Twenty years after her 2006 diagnosis, she had returned to UT MD Anderson as a weekly volunteer supporting other women receiving breast cancer care.

MD Anderson
OutcomeNot reported