HER2-Positive Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Trish's Patient Story

Patient Info: Trish Vickery, female, 50s

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

At 58, Trish was living an active life after treatment, including working, traveling, exercising, and rowing.

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Finding Happiness Despite Stage IV Lung Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, 50s | Stage IV

More than a year after diagnosis, she remained in treatment for Stage IV lung cancer, with some therapies losing effectiveness as the cancer developed resistance.

Dana-FarberRead more →

Positivity and Cancer: Be Yourself

Patient Info: Melissa Angiolillo, Under 40 | Stage III

Diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer at 35, Melissa Angiolillo learned to make room for fear and uncertainty rather than feeling pressured to stay positive throughout treatment.

Dana-FarberRead more →

Breast Cancer: Marianne's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Marianne Gongos, Female, 60s

Marianne had been breast cancer-free since June 13, 2013. Her separate chronic myeloid leukemia was also in remission after she restarted its medication.

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Breast cancer survivor finds comfort in quilting community

Patient Info: Michelle Hines, female

Michelle had been cancer-free since November 2015 at the time of the story.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer and an Atypical Femoral Fracture During Ibandronate Treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 50s

She was living with bone-metastatic breast cancer when a suspected new femoral metastasis was instead recognized as an atypical femoral fracture during long-term ibandronate treatment.

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Stage IV ERBB2-Mutated Lung Cancer With Extensive Bone Metastases

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

Biomarkers: ERBB2 exon 20 insertion. A PIK3CA mutation was later detected at progression and considered a possible resistance mechanism.

Metastatic Site: bone

After progression on pemetrexed following several earlier treatment lines, she transitioned to hospice care.

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Stage IV ERBB2-Mutated Lung Adenocarcinoma With Brain Metastases and Multiple Targeted Therapies

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

Biomarkers: ERBB2 exon 20 insertion, exact sequence not specified. ERBB2 copy-number gain was identified during progression on afatinib.

Metastatic Site: brain, adrenal gland, liver

The final documented afatinib plus bevacizumab rechallenge produced a mixed response followed by liver progression after 3 months.

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ERBB2-Mutated Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma With Leptomeningeal Progression

Patient Info: Anonymized, male

Biomarkers: ERBB2 A775_G776 insYVMA mutation with amplification

The final treatment produced a mixed systemic response, but leptomeningeal disease developed.

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ERBB2-Mutated Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma With Treatment Intolerance and Progression

Patient Info: Anonymized, male

Biomarkers: ERBB2 A775_G776 insYVMA mutation

After poorly tolerated earlier regimens with stable disease, he developed symptomatic progression during 1 month of afatinib.

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ERBB2-Mutated Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma Progressing Through Multiple Therapies

Patient Info: Anonymized, female

Biomarkers: ERBB2 mutation

The cancer progressed during afatinib, nivolumab and a later paclitaxel rechallenge.

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ERBB2-Mutated Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma With Progression Across Multiple Regimens

Patient Info: Anonymized, male

Biomarkers: ERBB2 V777delinsVGSP mutation

After a brief period of stable disease on cisplatin plus docetaxel, the cancer progressed through erlotinib, gemcitabine and afatinib.

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ERBB2-Mutated Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma With Limited Disease Control Across Multiple Therapies

Patient Info: Anonymized, female

Biomarkers: ERBB2 V776delinsVC mutation

After temporary stable disease when bevacizumab was added to chemotherapy, the cancer progressed on trastuzumab plus paclitaxel and then erlotinib.

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ERBB2-Mutated Stage III Lung Cancer With Liver Recurrence and Multiple Lines of Therapy

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

Biomarkers: ERBB2 exon 20 insertion

Metastatic Site: liver

After 6 months of disease control on vinorelbine plus trastuzumab, the cancer progressed in all sites and she chose hospice care.

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Stage IV ERBB2-Mutated Lung Adenocarcinoma Responding to HER2-Targeted Therapy

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

Biomarkers: ERBB2 exon 20 insertion

Metastatic Site: bilateral lungs

Afatinib showed a response after 1 month, but insurance denial required a return to trastuzumab-based treatment.

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Stage IV Ovarian Cancer: Diane's Patient Story

Patient Info: Diane Sarver, female | Stage IV

After about 7 weeks on the clinical trial, Diane's test results had normalized; she was entering her third year on treatment and planned to continue while it remained effective and tolerable.

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Lung Cancer: Diego's Patient Story

Patient Info: Diego, Male | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Metastatic Site: Hip / left iliac region pain treated with radiotherapy

On 27 March 2017, Diego was recovering from hospitalization and radiotherapy for severe hip/left iliac-region pain, with pain improved and pemetrexed chemotherapy planned after his next oncology visit.

Stage IV Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Darrell's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Darrell Sawyer, Male | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver

As of February 2017, Darrell had completed surgery, portal vein embolization, liver resection and chemotherapy for Stage IV sigmoid adenocarcinoma and was living with treatment effects including neuropathy, vision changes, weight loss and chemobrain.

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Metastatic Colon Cancer With Tumor Thrombus Extending Into the Right Atrium

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 40s

Biomarkers: BRAF wild-type, KRAS wild-type, NRAS wild-type

Her metastatic colorectal cancer progressed despite multiple treatment lines. Supportive care alone was chosen after her performance status deteriorated, and she later died from multiorgan failure in the setting of metastatic cancer.

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Recurrent Stage III Ascending Colon Cancer With a Duodenocolic Fistula in a 33-Year-Old Man

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

Six months after surgery, he returned with advanced recurrent disease that could not be resected; feeding procedures were performed and he was sent home with plans for palliative care.

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Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Pam's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Pam Scarpino, female | Stage III

Pam had no evidence of disease in March 2010 after treatment for recurrence and remained in remission at the time of the story.

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Stage III Rectal Cancer Among Five Synchronous Gastrointestinal Cancers

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

Six years after surgery and adjuvant treatment, he remained without recurrence or metastasis and continued regular follow-up.

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

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; BRCA and other known hereditary breast cancer genes not identified in family history discussion

As of January 2017, Sarah had been living for almost 3 years with recurrent Stage IV HER2-positive breast cancer and was receiving Kadcyla every 3 weeks.

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Colorectal Cancer: Theresa's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Theresa Cotton, Female, 40s

As of January 2017, Theresa was cancer-free for more than 5 years after colorectal cancer treatment that included complete hysterectomy, permanent colostomy, chemotherapy and 28 radiation treatments.

Cleveland ClinicRead more →