Stage IV small-cell esophageal cancer: initial complete response before brain, lung, liver, and adrenal progression

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

Biomarkers: pancytokeratin and CD56; PD-L1 TPS 5%; later lung lesion Ki-67 80%.

Metastatic Site: abdominal lymph nodes, brain, lung, liver, right…

After an extended initial complete response, she developed progressive metastatic disease involving brain, lung, liver, and right adrenal gland; whole-brain radiation and lurbinectedin were started, but septic shock and acute hypoxic respiratory failure with ARDS led to comfort care.

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ALK-Positive Metastatic Lung Cancer Responding to Lorlatinib During Hemodialysis

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

Biomarkers: ALK rearrangement 80%; EGFR and BRAF negative; ROS1 negative; PD-L1 negative

Metastatic Site: brain

After about 1 year of lorlatinib, imaging was almost compatible with a complete response, brain MRI showed no active lesions, and she continued treatment with manageable high cholesterol as the main reported side effect.

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Stage 4 HR-positive breast cancer: stable disease on ribociclib

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

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

Metastatic Site: left iliac bone

Metastatic HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer remained without progression as of October 2024 while she continued ribociclib 400 mg plus letrozole after SBRT to a left iliac bone metastasis.

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Stage IV EGFR Lung Cancer: Leah's Patient Story

Patient Info: Leah Phillips, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR mutation

Metastatic Site: Not reported

As of December 2024, Leah was recovering well a few weeks after right-middle-lobe lobectomy, but remained a Stage IV EGFR-mutated lung cancer patient needing ongoing treatment and follow-up.

MD AndersonRead more →

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

Patient Info: Filipe, Male, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion

Metastatic Site: brain, bone, left lung, kidney

As of November 2024, Filipe was living with ongoing Stage IV EGFR exon 19-mutated lung cancer after initial response to osimertinib, later progression and current amivantamab plus chemotherapy.

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Stage I lung adenocarcinoma treated with SBRT after pacemaker relocation

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

As of December 2024, CT showed complete resolution of the lung ground-glass lesion and no recurrence 4 years and 10 months after SBRT for Stage I lung adenocarcinoma, with stable pacemaker function.

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Lung Adenocarcinoma With Immune-Related Abdominal Inflammation and Later Bone Progression

Patient Info: Anonymized, male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: PD-L1 30%; KRAS G13X mutation; EGFR/ALK/ROS1 negative

Metastatic Site: bone

After several periods of response or stability, lymph-node progression recurred and bone progression was documented in July 2024. Another treatment line was being planned.

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Stage 4 ALK-positive lung cancer: remission on lorlatinib

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

Biomarkers: ALK-positive rearrangement; TTF-1-positive

Metastatic Site: bilateral lungs, mediastinal lymph nodes, bone, liver,…

Metastatic ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma remained in radiologic and clinical remission on lorlatinib after CNS progression on earlier ALK-directed therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery.

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Stage 4 lung cancer with brainstem metastasis: complete remission on chemotherapy

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

Metastatic Site: pons, right parietal lobe, brain

Stage IV NSCLC with pontine and right parietal brain metastases achieved complete remission after 2 years of chemotherapy with an anti-VEGF drug; the pontine lesion remained stable, and severe SRS-related central neuropathic pain improved after methadone escalation.

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Seven-year response journey in EGFR-mutated metastatic lung adenocarcinoma

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

Biomarkers: EGFR mutation

Metastatic Site: pleura, brain

About 7 years after presentation with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma, he remained on targeted therapy. Gefitinib controlled the disease for 5 years; after brain progression, osimertinib followed by stereotactic radiation produced a complete intracranial response.

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

Patient Info: Leah Phillips, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion

Metastatic Site: bone (spine, pelvis); malignant right pleural…

As of July 2024, Leah remained on daily Tagrisso with stable Stage IV EGFR-mutated lung cancer, no reported progression, healing/sclerotic bone metastases, and durable response for more than 4 years.

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First primary lung cancer treated with SBRT in a patient with multiple cancers

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 70+

At 43 months after the first SBRT, there was no local recurrence and the patient remained alive and walking independently.

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Second primary lung cancer treated with SBRT two years later

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 70+

At 17 months after the second SBRT, the left-lung lesion had shrunk with no local recurrence, and the patient remained alive and walking independently.

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RET-rearranged metastatic lung cancer responding to selpercatinib after pralsetinib

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

Biomarkers: KIF5B-RET fusion; PD-L1 negative

Metastatic Site: brain

More than 5 years after her 2018 diagnosis, selpercatinib was ongoing after 8 months with continued brain response and stable lung disease.

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EGFR-mutated lung cancer with later small-cell transformation

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

Biomarkers: EGFR L858R mutation; acquired EGFR T790M mutation

Metastatic Site: pleura/chest wall, ribs, brain, meninges,…

Disease progressed through multiple lines of therapy with brain and meningeal involvement. He died in September 2021, more than 9 years after his original 2012 diagnosis.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jessica's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Jessica Dazzler, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: FoundationOne testing performed; exact mutation not stated

Metastatic Site: lungs, spine, rib

As of May 2024, Jessica said it took 3 years and 4 months to reach no evidence of disease after Stage IV colorectal cancer, though she remained anxious about future scans and possible circulating cancer.

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Stage IB squamous lung cancer: SBRT, second primary tumor, and local persistence

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: EGFR wild-type / no EGFR mutations detected

As of April 2024, the second left-lower-lobe primary remained without progression after SBRT, but the original right-lower-lobe tumor site had biopsy-confirmed persistent squamous cell carcinoma 4.3 years after SBRT and required salvage local therapy planning.

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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.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jeff's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jeff Williams, Male, 50s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver; lungs

As of December 2023, Jeff was living with recurrent Stage IV colorectal cancer, had recently developed more lung tumors, continued chemotherapy locally every 2 weeks, and returned to UT MD Anderson every 3 months for scans.

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Colon cancer surgery complication: fistula after extensive pelvic surgery and radiation

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: upper vaginal wall; lungs

She remained alive after treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer and recovered without clinical fistula recurrence at 1- and 2-month postoperative follow-up.

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Breast cancer lung metastasis treated with a minimally invasive freezing procedure

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; ER-negative

Metastatic Site: lungs

Follow-up PET/CT at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after cryoablation showed no progression or new lesions without systemic therapy.

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Severe colitis from pembrolizumab immunotherapy requiring additional treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male

Infliximab stopped the bleeding and reduced bowel movements from 11–12 to about 3–4 per day within 1 week, allowing discharge. Continued follow-up was needed for the colitis, hepatitis B reactivation risk and lung cancer.

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BRCA2-Mutated Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma Controlled for 30 Months With Olaparib

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1-negative; BRCA2 mutation; ATM mutation; EGFR-negative; ALK-negative

Metastatic Site: brain

Olaparib provided about 30 months of disease control, and PET imaging remained overall stable when a separate new breast primary was found in February 2023.

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Stage I Lung Cancer: Terri's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Terri Ann DiJulio, Female, 40s | Stage I

Biomarkers: Not reported for patient; family history of lung cancer noted

As of June 2023, Terri Ann was considered no evidence of disease after 3 early-stage lung cancer diagnoses treated with surgery and SBRT, and she had returned to 6-month follow-up while continuing advocacy and cycling.

The Patient StoryRead more →