At 53, a Tumor Test Suggested Chemotherapy Could Be Avoided for Rare Breast Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: Chromogranin strongly positive; synaptophysin strongly positive; ER score 285; PR score 300; HER2-negative; Ki-67 40%; Oncotype DX Recurrence Score 13

A 53-year-old with a 3.0 cm, grade 3 neuroendocrine breast tumor had a low Oncotype DX score of 13, suggesting chemotherapy could be omitted.

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Stage II lung adenocarcinoma with a fetal-type component treated with surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 70+ | Stage II

Biomarkers: PD-L1 negative; no alterations identified on Oncomine Dx testing

He was doing well without recurrence 8 months after surgery.

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Triple-negative breast cancer and ovarian cancer treated with chemotherapy and PARP inhibitor

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

Biomarkers: Germline pathogenic BRCA2 c.6468_6469del; breast tumor triple-negative

As of April 2024, 6-week follow-up after breast and nodal radiation was unremarkable, erythema had resolved, and no breast, chest wall, respiratory, or axillary abnormality was found; longer-term control was not reported.

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Stage II Lung Cancer: Ed's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Ed Ackerman, Male, 60s | Stage II

Follow-up tests and scans showed Ed was cancer-free after lung resection and 4 rounds of chemotherapy for Stage IIA lung cancer.

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Severe delayed bleeding after surgery for gastric cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 60s

Biomarkers: HER2-negative

At 1-year follow-up, she had no recurrent surgical-site bleeding and chemotherapy was initiated.

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Vision problems led to a breast cancer diagnosis (cancer-associated retinopathy)

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female

Biomarkers: Anti-recoverin and anti-alpha-enolase antibodies associated with cancer-associated retinopathy; tumor biomarkers not reported

Six years after her initial visual symptoms, vision remained stable and she remained cancer-free on surveillance.

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Stage III Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Michael's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Michael Holtz, Male, 40s | Stage III

Michael reported that capecitabine with radiation, surgery, and FOLFOX worked for him; current surveillance findings and recurrence status were not provided.

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Fertility-Sparing Treatment for Ovarian Immature Teratoma in a Young Woman

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage I

After fertility-sparing surgery, she remained disease-free under surveillance and later conceived naturally, completing a healthy term pregnancy.

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Freezing treatment (cryoablation) used to manage slow-growing triple-negative breast cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative; androgen receptor-positive in original tumor; Ki-67 5% initially and 10% at recurrence

At 29 months after recurrence diagnosis and 20 months after the first cryoablation, no viable breast tumor was seen at treated sites, axillary nodes were unchanged, pain was absent, and she remained active and independent.

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HER2-positive apocrine breast cancer: chemotherapy and Herceptin

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s

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

Disease-free for 2 years after treatment for HER2-positive apocrine breast cancer, with no reported lymph-node recurrence or distant metastases during surveillance.

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Invasive lobular breast cancer with isolated scalp metastasis: excision and endocrine therapy

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

Biomarkers: Original breast tumor: ER-positive; PR-positive; scalp metastasis: CK7-positive; ER-positive; GCDFP-15 partially positive

Metastatic Site: scalp/skin

As of April 2024, she had no signs of recurrence in the breast or scalp and no distant metastasis after excision of the isolated scalp metastasis while continuing anastrozole.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Zykeisha's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Zykeisha Law, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver; lung

As of April 2024, Zykeisha was back in remission after Stage IV colorectal cancer, recurrence involving lung and liver, additional chemotherapy, and multiple major surgeries; her last treatment was in April 2021.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Stage III squamous lung cancer complicated by a fatal postoperative bronchopleural fistula

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

He developed a postoperative bronchopleural fistula with pulmonary infection and worsening respiratory failure, and died on December 2, 2020.

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Stage III squamous lung cancer with a postoperative bronchopleural fistula successfully repaired

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 50s | Stage III

After bronchoscopic repair of a postoperative bronchopleural fistula, he was followed for more than 1 year with CT every 3 months and no lung-cancer recurrence.

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Stage III squamous lung cancer with a postoperative bronchopleural fistula that resolved with treatment

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

The postoperative bronchopleural fistula resolved after anti-infective treatment, and serial CT scans showed no lung-cancer recurrence during ongoing follow-up.

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Stage III lung adenocarcinoma with a postoperative bronchopleural fistula and no recurrence

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

Biomarkers: EGFR, ALK, KRAS, RET and ROS1 negative

After treatment of a postoperative bronchopleural fistula, she was followed for more than 1 year with CT every 3 months and no lung-cancer recurrence.

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Elsa Lankford

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

Biomarkers: Biomarker testing completed; results not reported

She remained in treatment for Stage IV colon cancer and had entered immunotherapy trial NCT05572684; reported side effects included skin rashes and increased anxiety.

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Stage I papillary lung adenocarcinoma treated with robotic segmentectomy despite an abnormal pulmonary vein

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

One year after surgery, there was no lung-cancer recurrence and no respiratory or right-sided heart-failure symptoms.

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SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated lung cancer with pleural disease and later spinal metastasis

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

Biomarkers: BRCA1 p.S1796 variant; TP53 p.; tumor mutational burden 12.6

Metastatic Site: spine

After chemotherapy and one cycle of nivolumab, a new 4.5 cm spinal metastasis caused cord compression and required surgery; further outpatient treatment was planned.

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Stage I lung adenocarcinoma diagnosed alongside follicular lymphoma

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

A 69-year-old man was found to have Stage I lung adenocarcinoma and a separate follicular lymphoma, allowing each cancer to be managed independently.

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Rare non-small cell lung cancer with TTF-1 and p40 coexpression and later bone recurrence

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 TPS 60%; ALK negative; ROS1 negative

Metastatic Site: lumbar vertebrae

The cancer recurred in the lumbar vertebrae about 4 months after surgery, and he died from cancer 9 months after the operation.

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Ovarian Cancer Spreads to the Breast During Platinum-Resistant Recurrence

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

Biomarkers: BRCA1/2-negative; HRD-positive; PD-L1-positive; folate receptor alpha-positive

Metastatic Site: right breast, right axillary lymph nodes, cervical…

She remained alive with stable disease about 2 years after the breast metastasis was diagnosed while receiving seventh-line mirvetuximab-soravtansine.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer With Recurrent Severe Hypocalcemia During Treatment - Case 1

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

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

Metastatic Site: bone, liver, ovaries

She died about 9 years after her breast-cancer diagnosis after progression of liver metastases.

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HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer With Recurrent Severe Hypocalcemia - Case 2

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

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

Metastatic Site: bone, liver

She died about 7 years after her breast-cancer diagnosis after rapid deterioration from liver metastases.

PubMed CentralRead more →