Chemotherapy: 1,904 Real Stories

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

Cancer Stories

A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Stage 3 breast cancer: complete pathological response to chemotherapy

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

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

At 1-year follow-up, she remained free of breast cancer; a thyroid nodule found on CT had no malignancy on fine-needle aspiration.

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

HER2-positive node-positive breast cancer: mastectomy and adjuvant TCbHP

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive breast cancer with ER/PR positivity, PD-L1 CPS 25

Adjuvant TCbHP was initiated after surgery, the first cycle was tolerated with supportive care, and regular monitoring was ongoing without evidence of distant recurrence or metastasis reported.

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

Stage IIIC ascending colon adenocarcinoma with appendiceal goblet-cell/signet-ring features: no recurrence at 46 months

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

Biomarkers: Colon tumor: MMR proteins retained, p53 positive, Ki-67 80%. Appendix lesion had neuroendocrine markers and Ki-67 10%.

At last follow-up on December 31, 2024, about 46 months after surgery, outside CT imaging and CEA testing showed no radiologic or biochemical evidence of tumor recurrence or metastasis.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

HER2-positive breast cancer with brain, skin, and lymph-node metastases responding to dual-targeted therapy

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive breast cancer. Initial tumor was ER/PR negative with Ki-67 30%; skin metastasis had Ki-67 70%.

Metastatic Site: brain, left cervical lymph nodes, skin of left chest…

After 1 cycle of inetetamab trastuzumab, pyrotinib, and capecitabine, skin metastases regressed, CEA and CA125 decreased, brain lesions shrank, and the largest lesion decreased by about 46%, meeting partial response; disease remained stable as of September 2024.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
Lauren, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal AdenocarcinomaColorectal Cancer

I Was SHOCKED At My STAGE 4 Diagnosis!

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

Metastatic Site: peritoneum / abdominal cavity

Lauren was early in treatment for Stage IV signet-ring cell colon cancer. As of July 2025, she was receiving chemotherapy, living with a colostomy, and hoping for enough response to allow further surgery or HIPEC; remission was not stated.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Elissa, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

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

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; no hereditary mutation reported

Metastatic Site: lymph nodes, liver, spine

Elissa had Stage IV HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer with an early strong response to systemic therapy, but she described the disease as long-term and not curative. As of July 2025, she had lived with metastatic breast cancer for about 4 years and had received roughly 5 lines of treatment.

The Patient Story
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
Kristen, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV Small Cell Lung Cancer: Kristen's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kristen, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: liver, abdominal wall, bone

Kristen had metastatic small cell lung cancer with liver, abdominal wall, and bone involvement. As of July 2025, she had completed chemotherapy, had organ-tumor shrinkage, had immunotherapy on hold because of shortness of breath, and was planning bone-directed treatment and possible immunotherapy restart.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

ALK-rearranged Stage IVA lung adenocarcinoma: partial response to pembrolizumab as eighth-line treatment

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

Biomarkers: ALK strongly positive by IHC 3+; ALK rearrangement confirmed by FISH; PD-L1 expression 95% by 22C3 immunostaining; CEA 2.3 ng/mL at diagnosis

Metastatic Site: brain

Nine months after pembrolizumab was started as eighth-line therapy, he maintained a partial response after prior progression on multiple ALK inhibitors and chemotherapies.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
Kate, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Kate Joyal

Patient Info: Kate Joyal | Stage IV

After 8 rounds of chemotherapy and colorectal surgery, Kate reported clear follow-up scans and remained hopeful about becoming cancer-free.

Fight Colorectal Cancer
OutcomeResponding Well
Lynn, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

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

Patient Info: Lynn Leiro, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

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

Lynn achieved complete response after breast cancer treatment and remission from therapy-related acute lymphocytic leukemia after CAR T cell therapy and bone marrow transplant; as of July 2025, nearly 1 year post-transplant, she was doing better and getting stronger.

City of Hope
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Isolated adrenal metastasis from breast cancer: adrenalectomy and exemestane plus palbociclib

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative; GATA3-positive; CK7-positive; mammaglobin-positive; GCDFP-15 rare staining

Metastatic Site: right adrenal gland

After laparoscopic right adrenalectomy for isolated metastatic breast carcinoma, follow-up CT abdomen/pelvis and PET-CT showed no metastatic disease elsewhere; surveillance while on exemestane and palbociclib showed no recurrence so far.

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

Metastatic colorectal cancer during pregnancy: chemotherapy and liver metastases

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

Biomarkers: Mismatch-repair deficient; KRAS ; BRAF not detected; CEA 38 ug/L; Lynch syndrome family history

Metastatic Site: liver, porta hepatis lymph nodes, retroperitoneal…

After initial response to FOLFOX, she developed bowel obstruction after moving closer to family and died during that admission after conservative management.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
Lauren, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal AdenocarcinomaColorectal Cancer

Stage IV Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Lauren's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: No actionable biomarkers reported; tumor testing suggested Lynch syndrome/hereditary pattern was unlikely; germline genetic testing pending

Lauren had Stage IV signet-ring cell colon cancer diagnosed after obstruction and emergency surgery with colostomy. As of July 2025, she was receiving traditional colorectal chemotherapy and awaiting germline genetic testing; remission was not stated.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IIIA EGFR lung adenocarcinoma: no recurrence after early osimertinib stop

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion mutation; elevated KL-6 and SP-D during interstitial lung disease episode

During 9 months of follow-up after osimertinib was stopped, she had no recurrence of interstitial lung disease, pulmonary embolism, or non-small cell lung cancer.

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

Stage IIIB triple-negative breast cancer: complete response after LVAD-supported neoadjuvant immunotherapy

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

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative; Ki-67 95%; nuclear grade 3, triple negative

As of July 2025, breast cancer remained in remission 2.5 years after mastectomy, after neoadjuvant paclitaxel/carboplatin/pembrolizumab, surgery, radiation, and 1 year of adjuvant pembrolizumab.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

HER2-low lobular breast cancer with bone marrow involvement responding to T-DXd

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Initial surgical specimen: ER-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative. Bone marrow relapse: breast cancer infiltration with low HER2 staining.

Metastatic Site: bone marrow

Two years after starting T-DXd, this patient remained free of bone marrow disease and continued the same treatment regimen.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Metastatic NSCLC with ATM mutations: 28-month response to olaparib before progression

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

Biomarkers: cfDNA showed ATM and ATM mutations. Common NSCLC drivers were negative; initial tumor markers were negative.

Metastatic Site: liver, left pubic bone, bilateral pulmonary nodules,…

After 28 months of remission and improved quality of life on olaparib, June 2024 PET-CT showed progression with a new 1.2 cm hypermetabolic left lower-lobe pulmonary nodule; olaparib was still being continued at the October 2024 clinic visit.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

HER2-low lobular breast cancer with bone marrow involvement treated with T-DXd

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Initial surgical specimen: ER-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative. Bone marrow relapse: breast cancer infiltration with low HER2 staining.

Metastatic Site: bone marrow

Two years after starting T-DXd, this patient remained free of bone marrow disease and continued the same treatment regimen.

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

Stage 4 triple-negative breast cancer: NED after adrenalectomy

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

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative; CA 15-3 elevated at recurrence; normalized post-surgery

Metastatic Site: adrenal gland

After adrenalectomy, serum CA15-3 and metanephrine/normetanephrine levels normalized, and the preoperative workup had found no other metastatic disease.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED