Chemotherapy: 1,904 Real Stories

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

Melissa, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Melissa's Patient Story

Patient Info: Melissa Fouts, Female | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: Outside the lungs / pleural area

As of September 2025, Melissa had been on low-dose eribulin for almost 7 years; 6 metastatic nodules outside the lungs had shrunk and stabilized, with 3 nearly undetectable on scans.

MD Anderson
OutcomeResponding Well
Laura, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Laura's Patient Story

Patient Info: Laura VanBrocklin, 40s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: liver

After multiple procedures and surgery for Stage IV colorectal cancer with liver involvement, Laura was still finishing chemotherapy.

Fight Colorectal Cancer
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Mary, who was diagnosed with Stage III Ovarian CancerOvarian Cancer

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.

AACR
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Angela, who was diagnosed with Stage I Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage I Breast Cancer: Angela's Patient Story

Patient Info: Angela George, Female, 40s | Stage I

Biomarkers: Not explicitly reported; Herceptin was given

As of September 2025, Angela was approaching 5 years from her Stage I breast cancer diagnosis, had completed bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy, Herceptin, and oophorectomy, and remained on daily estrogen-reducing medication with oncology visits every 6 months; the source does not explicitly state NED.

Cleveland Clinic
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Heather, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Heather's Patient Story

Patient Info: Heather Candrilli, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver

Heather had Stage IV colon cancer with liver-only metastases. Her scans improved and Signatera became negative, but she still had many liver lesions and was not considered resectable. As of September 2025, she remained on chemotherapy while pursuing living-donor liver transplant evaluation.

The Patient Story
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage IIIA KRAS p.G12V lung adenocarcinoma: pathologic complete response after chemoimmunotherapy and surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+ | Stage III

Biomarkers: KRAS p.G12V mutation; PD-L1 0% tumor-cell staining; <1% tumor-associated inflammatory-cell staining; no EGFR, ALK, or ROS1 driver mutation reported

Pathology after lobectomy showed a pathologic complete response, and surveillance imaging 12 months later showed no evidence of disease recurrence.

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

Stage IIIA lung adenocarcinoma complicated by severe atezolizumab-induced liver toxicity

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 49%; case text describes triple-negative status without expanding the specific markers

The patient was discharged clinically stable but with guarded prognosis after atezolizumab-induced vanishing bile duct syndrome, requiring prednisone, mycophenolate mofetil, ursodeoxycholic acid, prophylaxis, and close oncology/internal medicine follow-up.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal AdenocarcinomaColorectal Cancer

Stage IV transverse colon cancer with NTRK fusion: entrectinib response followed by fatal PTTM

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

Biomarkers: RAS/BRAF wild type, low TMB. CEA and CA19-9 were elevated before entrectinib and fell with response.

Metastatic Site: peritoneum, greater omentum, pleura,…

He died 7 weeks after hospitalization from pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy causing severe pulmonary hypertension and right-heart failure, despite biochemical and ascites response to entrectinib.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
Maria, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Maria's Patient Story

Patient Info: Maria, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Bone (spine, clavicle, rib, thigh bone, scapula);…

Maria initially had a clean PET scan after chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and targeted/endocrine therapy, but later developed Stage IV metastatic breast cancer involving multiple bone sites, with lung and cervical-region involvement also described. As of September 2025, she remained on treatment and did not have an available clinical trial option.

The Patient Story
OutcomeSetback / Progression
Kara, who was diagnosed with Stage III Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Kara's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Kara Lionetta, Female | Stage III

An update to Kara's story reported that she was no evidence of disease while completing cleanup chemotherapy and planning later ileostomy reversal.

Fight Colorectal Cancer
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Claire, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Claire's Patient Story

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

Metastatic Site: Abdominal wall; lungs

As of September 2025, Claire was living with metastatic recurrent colorectal cancer as a chronic illness, receiving chemotherapy every 2 weeks since April 2018, approaching her 200th round, and maintaining stable disease with no signs of growth.

Cleveland Clinic
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer with immune-related diabetes and stable disease at 2 years

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

Biomarkers: Tumor PD-L1 not reported. Immune-related diabetes showed very low C-peptide and negative diabetes autoantibodies; thyroiditis also occurred.

Metastatic Site: pancreas; pleura/pleural effusion; mediastinal lymph…

Two years after the SCLC diagnosis, she was alive with stable oncologic disease after later brain metastases were treated with whole-brain radiotherapy, and she remained insulin-dependent.

PubMed Central
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Small-cell lung cancer with anti-NMDAR encephalitis: neurologic recovery and cancer care ongoing

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 70+

Biomarkers: Anti-NMDAR antibodies positive in cerebrospinal fluid; tumor molecular markers not reported

He recovered without significant neurologic sequelae and had no recurrence of neuropsychiatric symptoms; SCLC treatment with carboplatin and paclitaxel began after discharge, and cancer remission status was not documented.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal AdenocarcinomaColorectal Cancer

Metastatic rectal cancer: total scapulectomy improves pain and function

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

Biomarkers: CEA 418 ng/mL preoperatively; 10.3 ng/mL postoperatively; 7.2 ng/mL at 7 months; 11.1 ng/mL at about 5 months postoperatively; 6.4 ng/mL at 8 months

Metastatic Site: liver, right acromion/scapula, left adrenal gland

The patient had meaningful pain relief and functional recovery after total scapulectomy, but later developed liver and left adrenal progression and remained on palliative chemotherapy with a positive response.

PubMed Central
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
Shiva, who was diagnosed with Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Colorectal Cancer: Shiva's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Shiva Sharma, Male, 40s

As of September 2025, Shiva described being told he was cancer-free after surgery and continued follow-up with scans every 6 months and regular colonoscopy.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Nicole, who was diagnosed with Stage III Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Nicole's Survivor Story

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

Nicole completed surgery and 6 months of chemotherapy for Stage III sigmoid colon cancer. As of August 2025, she described good scans and bloodwork while managing survivorship issues, including lasting chemotherapy-related nerve damage.

The Patient Story
OutcomeSurvivorship / Completed Treatment
A patient, who was diagnosed with Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer history with later chest wall sarcomatoid carcinoma treated by embolization, ablation, and chemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: Initial breast cancer was triple-negative. Later chest-wall lesion was weak ER-positive, PR/HER2-negative

By February 2025, the treated chest wall lesion had decreased to about 13 x 7 mm after embolization, radiofrequency ablation, and albumin-bound paclitaxel plus cisplatin, with no peripheral or distant metastatic foci seen.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IIIB male encapsulated papillary breast cancer: disease-free after surgery and adjuvant therapy

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive 100%; PR-positive 100%; HER2-negative / IHC 1+; p63 loss supported encapsulated papillary carcinoma; no neuroendocrine differentiation

Three years after diagnosis, he was clinically doing well without evidence of breast cancer recurrence after mastectomy, radiation, and tamoxifen.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Iris, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Iris's Patient Story

Patient Info: Iris, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Spine; liver; bone

As of August 2025, Iris was living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer involving the spine, liver, and bones and was receiving systemic maintenance therapy with monthly injections and close monitoring.

Susan G. Komen
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Metastatic lung adenocarcinoma with brain and iliac bone response to chemoimmunotherapy

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1-negative; no EGFR, ALK, ROS1, RET, KRAS, BRAF, MET, HER2, or NTRK alteration detected; TP53 mutation found.

Metastatic Site: left iliac bone, brain

Brain metastases achieved complete remission without cranial irradiation, and lung, bone, and brain lesions remained stable at last follow-up, with PFS of 35 months and OS exceeding 40 months.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well