Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Ben's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Ben Simcox, Male, Under 40 | Stage III

As of September 2020, Ben was cancer-free for almost 3 years after treatment for rectal cancer with 3 positive lymph nodes, including chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and 6 additional months of chemotherapy.

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Rectal Cancer Recurrence at a Colostomy Site

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

Metastatic Site: abdominal wall|peritoneum

She was alive 6 months after palliative radiotherapy for recurrent disease at the colostomy and abdominal wall.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Scott's Patient Story

Patient Info: Scott Sterling, 50s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: liver

After nearly 2 years of treatment for Stage IV colorectal cancer, Scott was able to have his primary tumor removed in August 2020 and was recovering while the metastatic disease continued to be managed.

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Graves disease during nivolumab treatment for HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: liver, brain

After progression through several treatment lines and development of brain metastasis, he died 4 months after evaluation for nivolumab-associated Graves disease, more than 1.5 years after his Stage IV gastric-cancer diagnosis.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Allison's Survivor Story

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

As of August 2020, Allison reported no evidence of disease on follow-up scans while continuing survivorship care after rectal-cancer treatment.

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Metastatic Lung Cancer Responded Completely After a Change in Immunotherapy

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

Biomarkers: TTF-1-positive; napsin-positive; PD-L1 0%; high tumour mutational burden; no actionable mutations

Metastatic Site: bone (left iliac bone, acetabulum and thoracic…

After progression on nivolumab, atezolizumab produced a complete response by the 6-month scan; after 35 cycles, the response remained sustained, he was alive and well, and no immune-related adverse effects were documented.

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Late Breast Skin Changes After Partial-Breast Radiation

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Mammography, ultrasound, MRI, and skin biopsy found no breast-cancer recurrence 13 years after treatment.

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Recurrent Breast Cancer With a Benign-Appearing Chest-Wall Rash

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: mediastinal lymph nodes

She had recurrent chest-wall and mediastinal metastatic disease; a later rash biopsy showed dermatitis rather than another skin recurrence.

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Young woman with ductal breast cancer and bleeding gastric metastases

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

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

Metastatic Site: pancreas|liver|kidney|stomach

After rapid progression to the pancreas, liver, kidney and stomach, she chose palliative care and died 1 month after presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding.

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Earlier left ductal breast cancer treated with radiation and endocrine therapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

She completed radiation and adjuvant endocrine therapy for the earlier ductal cancer; 8 years later, she developed a separate lobular carcinoma in the same breast.

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Stage II HR-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Caitlin's Patient Story

Patient Info: Caitlin J., Female, Under 40 | Stage II

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

As of July 2020, Caitlin had completed lumpectomy, AC chemotherapy, Taxol, and 33 radiation treatments for Stage IIB ER-positive, PR-positive IDC and was continuing monthly Lupron plus daily anastrozole.

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Cutaneous lymphatic spread after Stage III gastric cancer with signet-ring cells

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

Metastatic Site: bone, distant lymph nodes, skin

After metastatic spread to bone, distant lymph nodes and skin, she developed respiratory failure and died despite palliative treatment.

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Small Cell Lung Cancer With Unusual Colon Metastases After Afatinib

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion

Metastatic Site: liver|adrenal glands|bone|brain|ascending…

The cancer progressed after an initial response to afatinib, with new brain and colon metastases. She died from respiratory failure on August 1, 2016.

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Stage III rectal adenocarcinoma with concurrent intermediate-risk prostate cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s

Biomarkers: Rectal cancer CEA was not elevated. Prostate cancer PSA was high before treatment and low after radiation.

The rectal tumor achieved pathologic complete response with no residual tumor and 0 of 13 lymph nodes involved. Surveillance CT at 10 months showed no local recurrence or distant metastasis, and PSA remained low 1 year after operation.

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Stage IV Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Kristine's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kristine, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Lymph nodes; chest wall; upper lungs

As of May 2020, Kristine was living with recurrent metastatic breast cancer involving lymph nodes, chest wall and upper lungs, after surgery and radiation, with daily oral chemotherapy helping keep cancer controlled.

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Occult breast cancer found in the axillary lymph nodes during diagnosis of four cancers

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: ER 90% positive; HER2 overexpression; CK19-positive; mammaglobin-positive.

Almost four years after the synchronous cancer diagnoses, she was alive without recurrence and continued letrozole and oncology follow-up.

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Jaw and neck infection mimicked breast cancer spread ten years after treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Ten years after mastectomy and radiation, she remained on adjuvant hormone therapy; the new jaw and neck lesions were actinomycosis rather than breast-cancer spread.

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Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Christine's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Christine Hodgdon, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Christine had no evidence of disease after 1 year and continued HER2-targeted treatment with regular surveillance scans.

Severe breast ulceration from pyoderma gangrenosum 17 years after cancer treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biopsies and imaging found no malignancy in the ulcerated breast, and treatment of infection and pyoderma gangrenosum produced a marked reduction in ulceration after discharge.

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

Patient Info: Eva Joseph | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Triple-negative

Metastatic Site: lungs, sternum

On ongoing atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel, Eva’s lung and sternum tumors became very small and were being kept at bay while she felt well enough to enjoy short trips.

Stage III Breast Cancer: Christine's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Christine Cosby | Stage III

At the latest report, there was no sign of cancer in Christine’s body and she had recovered enough to return to work part time.

Tomma Hargraves: Choosing to Help Other Patients after Surviving Lung Cancer

Patient Info: Tomma Hargraves | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: brain

After treatment and a later recurrence, Tomma went many years without further cancer treatment and became a patient navigator and advocate. She died on September 7, 2023.

Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Tomma's Patient Story

Patient Info: Tomma Hargraves, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: brain

After a later brain and lymph-node relapse was brought under control, Tomma had no further cancer treatment and remained active in survivorship advocacy. She died on September 7, 2023.

Breast Cancer: Cheryl's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Cheryl West

Cheryl said she was cancer free after completing radiation therapy for breast cancer during a longer treatment and reconstruction journey for a separate palate cancer.

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