Surgery: 2,208 Real Stories

2,208 stories match surgery. 1,436 of them mention chemotherapy.

Roy, who was diagnosed with Stage II Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage II KRAS Lung Adenocarcinoma: Roy's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Roy, Male, 50s | Stage II

Biomarkers: KRAS

As of May 2026, Roy described being cancer-free/in remission, back to flying professionally, and strong enough to complete his 5th marathon at the Boston Marathon.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal AdenocarcinomaColorectal Cancer

Stage IV rectal mucinous adenocarcinoma with pancreatic metastasis: response to chemotherapy and staged surgery

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

Biomarkers: CA 19-9 93.4 U/mL; CEA 3.4 ng/mL; pancreatic lesion biopsy consistent with colorectal origin

Metastatic Site: pancreas

As of May 2026, he had good clinical progress during 5 months of follow-up after staged treatment, including chemoradiation, FOLFOX, abdominoperineal resection, FOLFIRINOX, and Whipple resection of the pancreatic metastasis.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer with orbital and bone metastases responding to nab-paclitaxel plus everolimus

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

Biomarkers: Primary breast cancer was ER-low, PR/HER2 negative. Orbital metastasis was triple-negative with AKT1 exon 4 mutation.

Metastatic Site: right orbit/orbital mass; bone

At 6-month follow-up, systemic disease was stable, ocular symptoms had significantly improved, orbital metastases were stable on MRI, and the response was described as RECIST partial response/progression-free interval while treatment continued.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
Amy, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Amy’s Stage 4 Hormone-Positive Lobular Breast Cancer Story

Patient Info: Amy, Female | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: Spine; pelvis

Amy was living with de novo stage 4 lobular breast cancer involving the spine and pelvis and remained active in rural-patient advocacy.

Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance
OutcomeLiving With Cancer / Ongoing Therapy
Caitlin, who was diagnosed with Stage II Ovarian Squamous Cell CarcinomaOvarian Cancer

Stage II Ovarian Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Caitlin's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Caitlin Koehler, female, Under 40 | Stage II

Biomarkers: PD-L1: high expression

After surgery for recurrence, Caitlin remained on maintenance therapy and her follow-up scans showed no evidence of disease.

MD Anderson
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IIB triple-negative metaplastic breast cancer with early metastatic recurrence: durable response to pembrolizumab-based therapy

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

Biomarkers: Triple-negative metaplastic breast cancer with PD-L1 CPS 83.2, BRCA1/2 negative

Metastatic Site: lung, sternum

As of May 2026, she had more than 30 months of disease control after pembrolizumab-based therapy for early recurrent metastatic metaplastic breast cancer, with only mild residual sternal uptake and no disease progression.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

My Metastatic Breast Cancer Spread To My BRAIN!

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

Metastatic Site: brain

As of May 2026, the patient was living with metastatic breast cancer involving the brain, receiving 2 brain-directed chemotherapy infusions every 3 weeks, and describing the disease as chronic rather than a death sentence.

YouTube — The Patient Story
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
Jake, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV ALK Lung Cancer: Jake's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: ALK-positive mutation

Metastatic Site: brain; lung; ankle bone

As of May 2026, Jake was 28 and had lived more than 13 years with Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer, with ongoing treatment history including targeted therapy, surgeries, radiation, clinical-trial therapy, and recent chemotherapy.

The Patient Story
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
Lawrence, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Lawrence's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Lawrence Henry, Male, 50s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Lung; abdominal lymph nodes

As of May 2026, Lawrence had no evidence of disease on scans since November, no blood-test signs of recurrence, was off colon cancer treatment, and returned to UT MD Anderson every 3 months for checkups.

MD Anderson
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Samantha, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

I Lost My Wife To Metastatic Breast Cancer at 29 Years Old

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

Metastatic Site: rib/bone; lymph nodes; brain; liver

Samantha died from metastatic breast cancer in early January 2026 at age 29 after brain and liver progression, heart failure, and tumor lysis syndrome during her final hospitalization.

The Patient Story
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Ovarian AdenocarcinomaOvarian Cancer

Stage IV Ovarian Cancer First Found Through an Umbilical Metastasis

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

Biomarkers: WT1-positive; CK7-positive; CA-125 321 U/mL at diagnosis

Metastatic Site: umbilicus

After 9 months of bevacizumab maintenance, her clinical and imaging findings remained stable.

PubMed Central
OutcomeStable Disease
A patient, who was diagnosed with Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Karen Coleman

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male

He died 21 days after his first symptom following septic shock, repeated surgeries, strokes and a heart attack, after life support was withdrawn.

Fight Colorectal Cancer
OutcomeIn Memory
Maralee, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV BRCA Breast Cancer: Maralee's Survivor Story

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

Biomarkers: BRCA mutation

Metastatic Site: Brain

As of May 2026, Maralee had no evidence of active disease after prior Stage IV breast cancer with brain metastasis, had stopped the PARP inhibitor after 2 years, remained without brain recurrence long enough to pursue pregnancy, and gave birth to a second daughter.

Cleveland Clinic
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Ovarian CancerOvarian Cancer

Durable response after multiple treatments for ovarian clear cell cancer

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

Biomarkers: HRD-positive; BRCA-negative; ARID1A mutation; PD-L1 CPS 30

She achieved a complete response, completed maintenance immunotherapy in May 2024, and continued anlotinib with normal follow-up imaging and tumor markers.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
Kristen, who was diagnosed with Stage III Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Kristen's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Kristen, Female | Stage III

Completed active treatment for Stage III colon cancer and entered survivorship while managing permanent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain.

The Patient Story
OutcomeSurvivorship / Completed Treatment
Susie, who was diagnosed with Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

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

Patient Info: Susie, Female | Stage III

As of May 2026, Susie described completed surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy for Stage III non-small cell lung cancer and was advocating for smoke-free legislation; no NED status was stated.

Cancer Research UK
OutcomeSurvivorship / Completed Treatment
A patient, who was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Stage ypT1aN0 triple-negative breast cancer with familial BRCA1 and OBSCN deletions

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, Under 40

Biomarkers: Triple-negative breast cancer; HER2 1+/negative; Ki-67 20%+. Familial testing showed BRCA1 and OBSCN deletions.

She underwent modified radical mastectomy with sentinel lymph node dissection and continued postoperative follow-up, with the main clinical emphasis on familial BRCA1/OBSCN genetic susceptibility.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Nathan, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Nathan's Survivor Story

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

Metastatic Site: Liver; peritoneal membrane

Declared tumor-free after aggressive treatment for Stage IV colon cancer, including colectomy, FOLFOX chemotherapy, and HIPEC, while continuing to live with treatment effects, an ileostomy, neuropathy, and scan anxiety.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Gastric AdenocarcinomaGastric Cancer

Gastric cancer treatment during hemodialysis after liver recurrence

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

Biomarkers: HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: liver|peritoneum

The cancer progressed in the peritoneum despite treatment, and systemic therapy was stopped in August 2024 before transfer to hospice in October 2024.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression