Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Heather's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Heather Russell, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

In her fifth year of remission at the time of the 2025 story after treatment for Stage III rectal cancer; she had returned to family and working life, with some lasting treatment effects.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Courtney's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Courtney Vigars, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

In her fifth year of remission at the time of the 2025 story after transanal surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy for Stage III rectal cancer; she had returned to an active working life.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Bill's Patient Story

Patient Info: Bill, Male, 40s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver | Lungs | Brain

As of March 2025, Bill was living with incurable Stage IV colon cancer after liver, lung, and brain involvement, with ongoing chemotherapy and lifelong maintenance treatment.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Mark's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Mark, Male, Under 40 | Stage III

Biomarkers: Tumor genetic testing negative; Lynch syndrome not detected

Mark had Stage III right-sided colon cancer treated with surgery and chemotherapy. He has been considered no evidence of disease since finishing chemotherapy in spring 2021 and had passed the 4-year post-surgery milestone as of March 2025.

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Metastatic lung adenocarcinoma: complete remission on nivolumab complicated by immune-mediated diabetes

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

Biomarkers: Lung tumor: EGFR wild type, ALK rearrangement not detected. Immune-mediated diabetes: islet/GAD antibodies negative and C-peptide undetectable.

Metastatic Site: brain (cerebellum and occipital lobe); liver

As of March 2025, serial CT and MRI scans through October 2023 showed no evidence of oncologic disease after nivolumab, while immune-mediated diabetes was controlled with basal-bolus insulin.

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

Patient Info: Stephani St. Cyr, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-targeted treatments reported; no inherited cancer gene mutation found.

Metastatic Site: Bone; liver; brain

As of March 2025, Stephani had Stage IV metastatic breast cancer involving bone, liver, and brain, had no evidence of disease since July 2021, and continued HER2-targeted/systemic therapy.

ALK-Fusion Small Cell Lung Cancer Responding to Ensartinib

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

Biomarkers: EML4-ALK fusion; TP53 and RB1 mutations; PD-L1 at least 50%

The recurrent hilar lymph nodes shrank on ensartinib, and treatment was still ongoing at the January 2025 cutoff with more than 12 months without progression.

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Stage 1 breast cancer with benign esophageal tumor removed endoscopically

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: Leiomyoma IHC: desmin positive; αSMA positive; S100 negative; CD34 negative; c-kit negative; CD117 negative; GLUT1 negative

Right breast cancer had not recurred 5 years after resection, and the FDG-avid esophageal lesion was completely removed and confirmed to be benign leiomyoma.

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Stage IV KRAS Colorectal Cancer: Bill's Patient Story

Patient Info: Bill, Male, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: KRAS mutation

Metastatic Site: liver; lung; brain

Bill has Stage IV KRAS G12A-mutated colon cancer with liver, lung, and brain metastases. After multiple surgeries, ablation, Gamma Knife, and repeated chemotherapy, tumors shrank and he moved to lifelong maintenance chemotherapy every 2 weeks as of March 2025.

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Stage IV KRAS Lung Cancer: Rosemary's Patient Story

Patient Info: Rosemary Conway, female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: KRAS mutation

After 14 months on daraxonracib in a clinical trial, Rosemary’s Stage IV lung cancer had stopped growing and she had returned to walking and lifting weights.

Dana-FarberRead more →

Synchronous breast and right colon cancers: response to carboplatin-paclitaxel and surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: Breast cancer was ER/PR positive, HER2 negative

As of March 2025, 9-month follow-up showed no local recurrence or distant metastasis after multimodal treatment, while she continued anastrozole.

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Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Donnita's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Donnita, Female, 60s

Biomarkers: Biomarker testing requested through Foundation Medicine; results not reported

Donnita had Stage IA2 non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma found by screening and treated with robotic wedge resections with clear margins. As of March 2025, she was living after early-stage surgery with fear of recurrence and ongoing advocacy.

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Shannin: Stage IV Colorectal Cancer

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

Biomarkers: Tumor-marker testing used to select immunotherapy

Metastatic Site: Liver

As of March 2025, Shannin was living with Stage IV colon cancer with cancer remaining in the liver while receiving chemotherapy and tumor-marker-matched immunotherapy.

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EML4-ALK lung cancer: complete remission on alectinib for 4 years

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

Biomarkers: EML4-ALK fusion

Metastatic Site: brain

Alectinib produced complete remission for nearly 4 years; after grade 3 colitis/ulcers, she switched to ceritinib and maintained stable tumor control without recurrent intestinal ulcers or colitis.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Shannin's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: Genetic testing negative; tumor-marker match for immunotherapy reported, exact marker not stated

Metastatic Site: liver; ovaries; peritoneum

Shannin has palliative Stage IV metastatic colorectal cancer with liver, ovarian, and peritoneal involvement. As of March 2025, she was continuing chemotherapy plus immunotherapy, had responded enough to keep treatment going, but still needed liver-directed options and did not qualify for a Canadian liver-pump trial.

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Edie: Stage III Colorectal Cancer

Patient Info: Edie, Female, 50s | Stage III

As of March 2025, Edie had recovered after chemotherapy, radiation, lower anterior resection, temporary ileostomy, and reversal; lymph nodes were negative, margins were clean, and follow-up scans and colonoscopies had remained clear.

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EGFR-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma That Transformed to Small Cell Lung Cancer

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion

Metastatic Site: brain, adrenal gland, liver, thyroid

The cancer progressed after small-cell transformation with adrenal, thyroid, liver and brain involvement, and she died 52.7 months after the original diagnosis from disease progression and organ failure.

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Breast cancer history: atypical pelvic fracture after long-term zoledronic acid

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

Prior breast cancer treatment had been completed; CT during fracture evaluation showed no metastatic disease, and the atypical iliac wing fracture healed progressively with conservative care and teriparatide.

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Stage II Triple-Negative Breast Cancer With Severe Myelitis During Pembrolizumab Treatment

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

Biomarkers: ER-negative, PR-negative, HER2-negative, germline PALB2 variation

Imaging showed a complete tumor response before surgery, and surgery 6 months later found no residual breast cancer or involved sentinel nodes.

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EGFR-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma That Transformed to Small Cell Lung Cancer

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion; acquired EGFR T790M mutation

Metastatic Site: liver

The cancer progressed after transformation to small cell lung cancer, and she died 49 months after the original diagnosis.

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Accessory breast cancer: surgery, radiation, endocrine therapy, no recurrence

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

Biomarkers: ER 2+/>95%; PR 3+/>95%; HER2-negative; Ki-67 2%

As of March 2025, 26 months after surgery, she continued anastrozole and breast MRI showed no evidence of recurrence.

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HER2 exon 20 metastatic lung adenocarcinoma with pathologic complete response after chemoimmunotherapy and surgery

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

Biomarkers: HER2 exon 20 insertion lung adenocarcinoma with TP53 mutation, PD-L1 TPS 50%, and low TMB.

Metastatic Site: contralateral lung

Right lower lobectomy with radical lymphadenectomy in November 2023 showed pathologic complete response, and no additional therapy was offered after surgery.

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Stage 4 lung cancer: managing pembrolizumab-induced myasthenia gravis

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

Biomarkers: Anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody elevated; TSH elevated during immune-related adverse event workup; cancer biomarkers not reported

At 9 months after the immune-related myasthenia gravis presentation, lung cancer remained in complete response while she continued low-dose prednisolone, pyridostigmine, levothyroxine, and nighttime NIV.

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Stage 4 lung adenocarcinoma with RET fusion responding to pralsetinib

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

Biomarkers: RET fusion

Metastatic Site: pleura

As of March 2025, he had recovered from grade 3 Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, restarted pralsetinib, and had no progressive disease or recurrence of adverse events over 13 months.

PubMed CentralRead more →