HER2-positive Stage I breast cancer: residual microinvasion after neoadjuvant T-DM1

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

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

No evidence of disease on follow-up after neoadjuvant T-DM1, lumpectomy/SLNB showing only residual microinvasion/DCIS, continued adjuvant T-DM1 to 17 total cycles, and 52.5 Gy radiotherapy.

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Colon cancer that later spread to the testis and liver

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

Metastatic Site: right testis, liver

Liver metastasis was found 6 months after orchiectomy. Telephone follow-up confirmed that he survived for more than 18 months after the testicular surgery.

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Stage II Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Lizzie's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Lizzie, Female | Stage II

Lizzie completed mastectomy, reconstruction-related surgery and 5 weeks of radiation. She remained on a planned 10-year course of an aromatase inhibitor and became active in breast cancer research advocacy.

Lobular Breast Cancer AllianceRead more →

Stage IIIA NSCLC: recurrence-free after surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, and one atezolizumab dose

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 expression 20% by 22C3 assay

She remained free of lung-cancer recurrence for more than 1 year after surgery and adjuvant cisplatin/vinorelbine; atezolizumab was stopped after 1 dose because of severe immune-related toxicities that improved with steroid and immunoglobulin treatment.

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Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer in remission: CBD and exercise for neuropathy

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

Biomarkers: Triple-negative breast cancer. Blood and immune inflammation measures were tracked during neuropathy care.

Metastatic Site: liver

She was in remission for more than 5 years after Stage IV breast cancer with a solitary liver metastasis, while later managing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy with CBD and an exercise program that improved symptoms and function.

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Stage 0 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Erica's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Erica Newbert Campbell, Female | Stage 0

Biomarkers: BRCA1/2-negative

As of June 2024, about 6 years after Stage 0 DCIS diagnosis, Erica described her body and mind as cancer-free after double mastectomy and reconstruction.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Steve's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Steve Slack, Male, 40s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: liver

As of June 2024, about 6 months after living-donor liver transplant, Steve had a clear surveillance scan and described himself as NED/no evidence of disease.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Small cell lung cancer discovered after recurrent pneumothorax

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 60s

Follow-up chest CT showed only postsurgical changes with no evidence of tumor, and he was doing well under oncology follow-up.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Lisa's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lisa Ordmandy, Female, 60s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Spine/bone: C2 and L3 vertebrae

As of June 2024, Lisa was living with metastatic breast cancer as a chronic illness, had recovered mobility after November 2023 spine surgery, continued close MD Anderson monitoring, and was being evaluated for possible clinical trials.

MD AndersonRead more →

Ovarian Cancer: Shraddha's Patient Story

Patient Info: Shraddha Pandey

Ten years after diagnosis, Shraddha described herself as an ovarian cancer survivor and an advocate for cancer awareness.

EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma in Li-Fraumeni syndrome: relapse-free after lobectomy and chemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: Lung tumor had EGFR exon 19 deletion. Germline TP53 variant was consistent with Li-Fraumeni syndrome; prior breast cancers were HER2 positive.

As of July 2024, she was free of relapse 2 years after left inferior lobectomy and pemetrexed/cisplatin for EGFR exon 19 deletion lung adenocarcinoma.

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Stage IV BRAF Colorectal Cancer: Sophie's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Sophie, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: BRAF-mutated; MSI / microsatellite instability

Metastatic Site: liver; lymph nodes including neck

As of June 2024, Sophie had been off treatment for nearly 3 years and described herself as currently cancer-free after surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and liver surgery showing no cancer cells.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Stage 3 breast cancer: pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, Under 40

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-negative, HER2-negative breast cancer with very high Ki-67. MammaPrint high-risk/basal type; hereditary testing negative.

Free of recurrence at last follow-up after neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy, breast-conserving surgery with RCB-0/pathologic complete response, adjuvant radiation, and adjuvant pembrolizumab.

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Stage III HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Liz's Patient Story

Patient Info: Liz O'Riordan, Female, 40s | Stage III

Biomarkers: ER-positive; HER2-negative; PIK3CA mutation reported by patient

As of June 2024, Liz described Stage III ER-positive/HER2-negative mixed ductal and lobular breast cancer followed by 2 locoregional recurrences after mastectomy; no distant metastatic disease was described for her personal story.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Amy's Patient Story

Patient Info: Amy Nicole, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: liver; lymph nodes near kidneys/retroperitoneal lymph…

As of June 2024, Amy was living with recurrent Stage IV colon cancer and was on an immunotherapy clinical trial that improved quality of life compared with chemotherapy, though she did not describe remission or NED.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Breast Cancer and a Rare Benign Blood-Vessel Growth Found in the Same Lymph Node

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: HER2-negative

A 47-year-old woman with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer had five involved axillary lymph nodes, including one that also contained a rare benign hemangioma.

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EGFR-mutated lung cancer treated with osimertinib during tuberculosis therapy

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion; acquired EGFR T790M mutation

Metastatic Site: pleura, left axillary lymph node

Osimertinib maintained a partial response throughout 9 months of tuberculosis treatment, with no new abdominal or brain lesions. By the end of tuberculosis treatment, she was more than 7 years from her original lung-cancer diagnosis.

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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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Rectal Cancer Relapse With a Rare Kidney Metastasis

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

Metastatic Site: liver; peritoneum; right kidney

After earlier treatment and a hepatectomy, imaging showed recurrent rectal disease with pelvic and peritoneal involvement and a new right kidney metastasis.

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Secretory Breast Carcinoma With Apocrine Differentiation in a 72-Year-Old Woman

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 70+

Biomarkers: ER and PR positive in the microcystic component and negative in the solid component; AR-positive in the solid component

More than 1 year after diagnosis, she was alive and under long-term surveillance after surgery.

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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.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Two early-stage primary lung cancers and bronchopleural fistula closure with VV-ECMO support

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

As of May 2024, the postoperative bronchopleural fistula had been successfully closed, the residual cavity had closed, and no BPF was seen on 3-month CT; longer cancer recurrence surveillance was not reported.

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Stage IVA lung adenocarcinoma with solitary brain metastasis: pCR after brain surgery, chemoradiation, immunotherapy, and lobectomy

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 75%; negative for driver gene mutations and translocations

Metastatic Site: brain

As of May 2024, he had no recurrence after brain metastasis resection and radiation, carboplatin/pemetrexed/atezolizumab, robot-assisted right upper lobectomy with pathologic complete response, and 13 cycles of maintenance atezolizumab.

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Metastatic lung adenocarcinoma presenting as a pituitary mass

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

Biomarkers: Lung adenocarcinoma with ERBB2 plus other mutations, PD-L1 TPS 1%

Metastatic Site: pituitary gland

As of May 2024, metastatic lung adenocarcinoma to the pituitary/sellar region had been diagnosed pathologically; systemic treatment, recurrence status, and longer follow-up were not described.

PubMed CentralRead more →