Cancer Survivor Story: How I Got Through Chemo & Radiation (2/3)

Patient Info: Montessa Lee, Female, Under 40

As of March 2021, Montessa had gone through chemotherapy, radiation, and brain radiation for small cell lung cancer and was speaking as a survivor/advocate; no NED claim was stated.

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Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic crisis during capecitabine treatment for metastatic breast cancer

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

CT during hospitalization showed reduction in her known metastatic lesions while capecitabine was held because of a severe hyperglycemic crisis.

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Cancer Survivor Story: How I Got Diagnosed with Lung Cancer (1/3)

Patient Info: Montessa Lee, Female, Under 40

As of March 2021, Montessa was sharing how she was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer at age 28 and later became a survivor/advocate after chemotherapy, radiation, and brain radiation.

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Stage III KRAS Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Terri's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Terri Conneran, Female | Stage III

Biomarkers: KRAS-mutated; PD-L1 level reviewed/tested

As of March 2021, Terri had Stage IIIA KRAS-mutated NSCLC with 3 local recurrences treated over time and had again reached no evidence of disease while continuing close surveillance and advocacy through KRAS Kickers.

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A painful scalp metastasis from sarcomatoid lung cancer

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

Biomarkers: No targetable mutations identified; CAM5.2-positive; p63-positive; CD10-positive; vimentin-positive.

Metastatic Site: chest wall and rib; liver; right gluteal region; scalp…

Her disease progressed with a further liver lesion and additional metastatic complications, and systemic treatment was stopped because of severe immune-related toxicity and the absence of targetable mutations.

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Breast cancer recurrence in the mandibular condyle causing jaw pain

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

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

Metastatic Site: right mandibular condyle with extension into the…

After anastrozole and 60 Gy of radiation, her jaw pain, mouth opening, and function improved, although some discomfort remained and palliative systemic treatment was continuing.

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Recovery from severe bowel and oesophageal complications after breast cancer chemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: HER2-positive.

She regained independence after an 89-day hospital course, but breast surgery remained deferred three months after intensive-care discharge and tamoxifen was being used during recovery.

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Severe immune thrombocytopenia during treatment for metastatic colon cancer

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

Biomarkers: KRAS-mutated; microsatellite stable; BRAF-wild type.

Metastatic Site: bilateral ovaries; pelvis; peritoneum; mesenteric…

After multiple metastatic recurrences and treatment changes, she died from progressive colon cancer; oxaliplatin had been permanently stopped after antibody-confirmed immune thrombocytopenia.

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A New BioZorb-Site Asymmetry After Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Was Fibrosis

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative., triple negative

A new focal asymmetry three years after treatment was confirmed as fibrosis and foreign-body reaction rather than recurrent cancer.

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Bilateral adrenal bleeding during bevacizumab treatment for metastatic colon cancer

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

Biomarkers: RAS-mutant; BRAF-wild type; microsatellite stable.

Metastatic Site: peritoneum; liver; lung

Despite multiple systemic and local treatments, his metastatic colon cancer progressed in the liver and peritoneum, and he died from disease progression in November 2018.

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Lung adenocarcinoma first detected through an adrenal metastasis

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

Biomarkers: No driver mutations identified.

Metastatic Site: left adrenal gland

After resection of the adrenal metastasis, postoperative imaging showed further thoracic uptake and he began palliative chemotherapy for metastatic lung adenocarcinoma without identified driver mutations.

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Ramucirumab and paclitaxel for metastatic gastric cancer in a patient receiving hemodialysis

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

Biomarkers: HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: liver, distant lymph nodes

After about 16 months of disease control on paclitaxel plus ramucirumab, multiple liver metastases and distant lymph nodes progressed. Third-line irinotecan was stopped after severe toxicity, and supportive care followed.

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Silicone lymphadenopathy after treatment for recurrent triple-negative breast cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: Triple-negative; BRCA1-negative; BRCA2-negative; latest recurrence Ki-67 60%–70%.

At the May 2020 follow-up, biopsies confirmed silicone-related lymph-node changes rather than cancer, and imaging showed no recurrent disease while six-monthly surveillance continued.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Lee's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Lee Jones, Male, 50s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver

As of February 2021, Lee reported no evidence of colon cancer since 2011 after treatment for Stage IV colon cancer with liver metastases, recurrence, chemotherapy, colon surgery, and liver surgery.

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Rectal cancer liver surgery in a woman with mitochondrial disease

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: liver; lungs; para-aortic lymph nodes

Three months after rectal and liver surgery, CT showed multiple lung metastases and para-aortic lymph-node metastasis, and FOLFIRI chemotherapy was resumed.

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Lung adenocarcinoma with intestinal pseudo-obstruction and Stauffer syndrome

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

After three chemotherapy courses, the lung tumor had partially responded, intestinal pseudo-obstruction improved, biliary enzyme levels fell, and he continued follow-up as an outpatient.

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Low-dose intrapleural therapy relieved a complex malignant pleural effusion

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, Under 40 | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: EGFR mutation-negative; ALK alteration-negative; ROS1 alteration-negative.

Metastatic Site: pleura; adrenal gland; bone

The lung cancer had progressed after initial chemotherapy, but rescue treatment of the infected loculated pleural effusion drained 2,000 mL, resolved the collection, and improved her breathing and fever.

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A difficult breast-reconstruction infection after breast cancer treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

After wide debridement and prolonged antibiotic treatment, the breast and abdominal wounds healed, imaging showed resolution of the subcutaneous infection, and no infection recurrence was seen over three years.

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Rectal cancer that later spread to the vagina

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

Metastatic Site: vagina

The isolated vaginal metastasis was surgically removed and followed by another 12 cycles of chemotherapy.

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Kidney Complications After Treatment for Stage IV Ovarian Cancer

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

Metastatic Site: peritoneum|left lymph node

No further ovarian-cancer progression was observed during the 10 months after kidney biopsy. The nephrotic syndrome reached partial remission after immunosuppressive treatment was stopped and supportive care continued.

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Extensive-stage small cell lung cancer with acquired haemophilia

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s

Biomarkers: Synaptophysin weakly positive; Ki-67 greater than 90%.

Her small cell lung cancer remained stable on imaging one month before her death, which followed aseptic meningitis after intravenous immunoglobulin treatment for autoimmune myasthenia gravis.

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A regressed choroidal metastasis during EGFR-targeted lung cancer treatment

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion.

Metastatic Site: liver; bone; central nervous system; right choroid

The right choroidal metastasis appeared inactive and regressed during systemic treatment, visual acuity remained 20/20, and no local eye treatment was required.

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Locally advanced male breast cancer associated with a pathogenic ATM variant

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 50s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: ER 100% positive; PR 100% positive; HER2-negative; Ki-67 30%; germline pathogenic ATM variant c.2921+1G>A.

Two years after diagnosis, he had an ECOG performance status of 0 and remained without signs of breast-cancer relapse or another primary cancer.

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A durable response to trastuzumab in heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor ER-positive and PR-positive. Metastatic liver biopsy ER-negative and PR-negative with HER2 IHC 1+ and nonamplified. Later biopsy ER and PR weakly positive at 5%–10%, HER2 IHC 1+ and nonamplified, and ERBB3 p. with evidence of HER2/HER3 pathway activation.

Metastatic Site: lungs; hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes; liver; bone

She had ongoing benefit for more than 10 months on trastuzumab and capecitabine, with improved symptoms, lower tumor markers, and a confirmed partial response.

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