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 IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage IV enteric-type lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR mutations and MSI-high disease

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion; acquired EGFR T790M; MSI-high; high tumor mutation burden; MLH1 mutation; pMMR; PD-L1-negative

Metastatic Site: lung, pleura

The cancer progressed through multiple targeted, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy regimens. He died about 30 months after the initial diagnosis.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
Stacy, who was diagnosed with Stage III Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Stacy's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Stacy Hughes, Under 40 | Stage III

Stacy completed 8 rounds of chemotherapy after surgery and reported being cancer-free.

Fight Colorectal Cancer
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Colorectal Squamous Cell CarcinomaColorectal Cancer

Understanding rectal squamous cell carcinoma, a rare form of rectal cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female

Biomarkers: SCC antigen 0.6 ng/mL at 6-month response assessment

A complete response was established at 6 months, and she remained without clinical, laboratory or imaging evidence of disease 2 years after treatment.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Deborah, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV Lung Cancer: Deborah's Patient Story

Patient Info: Deborah Persinger, Female, 70+ | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Brain

As of January 2024, Deborah was living actively 13 years after lung cancer diagnosis, with recurrent brain metastases managed through repeated Gamma Knife radiosurgery and ongoing MRI surveillance.

Cleveland Clinic
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
Jason, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jason's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jason Reese, Male, 40s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver

As of January 2024, Jason still had active Stage IV rectal cancer, but extensive liver metastases had decreased from innumerable lesions to very few visible on scans, and treatment planning continued.

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

Rare lung cancer first discovered as a mass in the skull

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: KRAS ; CK7-positive; CDX2-positive; pathology favoured pulmonary enteric adenocarcinoma

Metastatic Site: skull base / sphenoid sinus; right posterior acetabulum

He received palliative radiation and prolonged systemic therapy, completing 35 cycles including 31 maintenance cycles of pemetrexed and pembrolizumab.

PubMed Central
OutcomeNot reported
Sally, who was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Sally's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Sally Johnston, 70+

Biomarkers: Estrogen receptor-positive

Sally was in remission by the end of 2014 and remained active about 10 years after treatment.

Dana-Farber
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Gastric AdenocarcinomaGastric Cancer

HER2-Positive Metastatic Stomach Cancer Presenting With Tumor Lysis Syndrome

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: HER2 positive

Metastatic Site: liver

His metastatic gastric cancer progressed despite FOLFOX6 and trastuzumab. He entered hospice about 1 year later and died a few months afterward.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
Jim, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jim's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jim Bromwich, Male, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Lung

As of January 2024, he had completed focused radiation to an isolated lung nodule and was awaiting follow-up scans; another tiny lung nodule was being monitored but was not PET-avid.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Gail, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage III Breast Cancer: Gail's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: Luminal A

As of 2024, Gail had Stage III luminal A breast cancer and was awaiting the start of planned treatment with lumpectomy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy.

Our Cancer Stories
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Colorectal AdenocarcinomaColorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer: using a blood test (ctDNA) to guide immunotherapy after surgery — Case 1

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 50s

Biomarkers: KRAS ; TMB 11 mutations/Mb; loss of MLH1 and PMS2; dMMR/MSI-H; germline multigene panel negative; ctDNA positive after surgery and chemotherapy

Pembrolizumab cleared ctDNA within about 3 months. After completing 1 year of immunotherapy, surveillance CT showed no evidence of disease and ctDNA remained negative.

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

Colorectal cancer: using a blood test (ctDNA) to guide immunotherapy after surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 40s

Biomarkers: dMMR/MSI-H; pathogenic germline MLH1 c.1459C>T consistent with Lynch syndrome; postoperative ctDNA rose during chemotherapy and became near-undetectable on pembrolizumab

He continued pembrolizumab with no evidence of disease on interval CT and near-undetectable ctDNA. Grade 1 thyroiditis was monitored without treatment interruption.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Treatment
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Treatment-Related Telangiectasias

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; initially ER-negative and PR-negative; metastatic disease weakly ER-positive and PR-negative; germline testing negative

Metastatic Site: left supraclavicular, mediastinal, axillary and…

Living with HER2-positive breast cancer for 9+ years since her 2014 diagnosis, including metastatic disease since 2017. She remained on reduced-dose tucatinib in 2023 while treatment-related telangiectasias improved after dose reduction and electrocautery.

PubMed Central
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
Susana, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage III Breast Cancer: Susana's Patient Story

Patient Info: Susana | Stage III

Treatment is ongoing with docetaxel chemotherapy, with surgery still being planned at the time described.

Our Cancer Stories
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Debra, who was diagnosed with Stage III Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Debra's Patient Story

Patient Info: Debra, Female | Stage III

Debra was still receiving chemotherapy and radiation for Stage III colorectal cancer, with tumor-removal surgery to be discussed after this phase of treatment.

Our Cancer Stories
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Anna, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Anna

Patient Info: Anna | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: liver

At the time of the story, Anna was living with Stage IV colorectal cancer and was 2 weeks into a planned 6-month treatment course.

Our Cancer Stories
OutcomeCare Ongoing