Colorectal Cancer: Stephanie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Stephanie McBride, 40s

After chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and a temporary ileostomy, Stephanie continued managing neuropathy, pain, and increased anxiety.

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High-Grade Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Breast Treated With Surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 40s

Biomarkers: ER low-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative; AR-positive; no MAML2 rearrangement

At 1-year follow-up, there was no local recurrence or distant metastasis.

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Rare soft-tissue sarcoma of the breast

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: TLE1 strongly and diffusely positive; p63, CK7

Metastatic Site: lungs

After mastectomy, the cancer was metastatic to the lungs and care was palliative.

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Ovarian Cancer: Chen's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Chen Wen Ye, Under 40

Nearly 5 years after diagnosis, Chen was cancer-free and attending regular follow-up while volunteering to support other young patients.

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Colorectal Cancer: Chrystie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Chrystie, Female, Under 40 | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Chrystie died at home on December 19, 2008, after advanced unresectable colon cancer, repeated infections, chemotherapy, unsuccessful surgical attempts, and 9 weeks of hospice care.

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Rectal cancer surgery followed by treatment for severe anastomotic narrowing

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 50s

After rectal-cancer surgery, a woman developed severe anastomotic narrowing that was treated with a minimally invasive magnetic technique.

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Stage I Breast Adenocarcinoma: Debbie's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Debbie Wade, Female | Stage I

As of February 2024, Debbie was cancer-free after double mastectomy, 4 weeks of radiation therapy and DIEP flap reconstruction for Stage I mucinous adenocarcinoma of the left breast, with mild left-arm lymphedema as the only reported side effect.

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Colorectal Cancer: Kristen's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kristen Van de Geer, Female, 40s

Chemotherapy was complete, and she was focused on physical recovery after treatment.

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Regorafenib produced a radiologic complete response in metastatic colon cancer with lung metastases

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

Biomarkers: KRAS codon 146 mutation; BRAF wild type; MSI-low

Metastatic Site: liver, lung

Nine months after stopping regorafenib, CT showed scarring of the lung metastases consistent with a radiologic complete response.

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Stage IV BRCA Breast Cancer: Dena's Patient Story

Patient Info: Dena Ofengeim, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Hormone receptor-positive; BRCA mutation

Metastatic Site: spine

Dena improved rapidly after treatment, regained her mobility, returned to an active life, and remained on therapy for metastatic breast cancer.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Katie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Katie LaPira, Female, 40s | Stage III

Katie described herself as in the middle of her Stage III colon cancer journey after surgery, with 6 months of oral and intravenous chemotherapy recommended.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Bobbi's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Bobbi Ratliff, 50s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: liver|lungs

On February 1, 2024, scans showed no evidence of cancer after multimodal treatment for Stage IV disease.

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Lung cancer brain metastasis grew into a pre-existing meningioma

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

Metastatic Site: brain

Six months after lung surgery, a pathologically confirmed brain metastasis developed beside and partly infiltrated a pre-existing meningioma. It was surgically removed, and the patient declined radiochemotherapy afterward.

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Basaloid squamous lung cancer that regressed and later regrew

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 70+

A lung nodule nearly disappeared without treatment, then regrew 2 years later and was resected as basaloid squamous cell carcinoma.

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ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma with a brain metastasis responding completely to brigatinib

Patient Info: Anonymized, male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EML4-ALK fusion positive

Metastatic Site: pleura, brain

More than 10 years after the original lung-cancer surgery, switching from crizotinib to brigatinib produced a complete response in the brain metastasis, with ongoing treatment.

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Pembrolizumab produced a complete response in unresectable dMMR colon cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 70+

Biomarkers: dMMR/MSI-H; MLH1 loss; MSH2 loss; RAS/BRAF wild type; MLH1 promoter hypermethylation

Surgery found a pathological complete response with no residual cancer in the colon or 58 lymph nodes, and follow-up showed no relapse.

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Pembrolizumab enabled complete response and surgery for unresectable dMMR colon cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 60s

Biomarkers: dMMR/MSI-H; MLH1 loss; PMS2 loss; BRAF mutation; MLH1 promoter hypermethylation

The surgical specimen showed a pathological complete response with no residual cancer and 0 of 43 lymph nodes involved, and follow-up showed no relapse.

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Male Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer With a Pathogenic PALB2 Variant

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 40s

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2 not amplified; pathogenic PALB2 variant

He was disease-free at 1-year follow-up after mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

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Pembrolizumab and surgery for metastatic dMMR colorectal cancer with major response

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

Biomarkers: dMMR/MSI-H; MLH1 loss; PMS2 loss; BRAF/RAS wild type; RET::NCOA4 fusion; MLH1 promoter hypermethylation

Metastatic Site: non-regional lymph nodes

Surgery showed a major pathological response with less than 10% viable tumor. Pembrolizumab was restarted after surgery, and no relapse had been documented.

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Pembrolizumab led to complete response before surgery for metastatic dMMR colon cancer

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

Biomarkers: dMMR/MSI-H; MLH1 loss; PMS2 loss; BRAF mutation; heterozygous MUTYH p. pathogenic variant

Metastatic Site: liver

The 2023 liver resection showed a pathological complete response with no residual tumor, and he entered follow-up without additional therapy.

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Stage IV colon cancer treated with FOLFOX during hemodialysis

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

Biomarkers: RAS mutation; BRAF wild type

Metastatic Site: lung

Cancer was controlled during chemotherapy for a period, but modified FOLFOX was ultimately stopped because the disease progressed.

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Stage IV rectal cancer treated with multiple chemotherapy lines during hemodialysis

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

Biomarkers: RAS mutation; BRAF wild type

Metastatic Site: liver

Modified FOLFOX was stopped after 6 cycles because the metastatic rectal cancer progressed.

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A primary lung adenocarcinoma that resembled metastatic thyroid cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 60s

Biomarkers: RET-GOLGA5 fusion

Alive 19 months after resection of the primary lung adenocarcinoma. The remaining miliary lung nodules were attributed to metastatic papillary thyroid cancer.

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Stage IV EGFR Lung Cancer: Ivy's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Ivy E., Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR mutation

Metastatic Site: Bone: elbow, cervical spine/neck, rib, pelvis; brain

As of January 2024, Ivy reported no evidence of disease 1 year after right upper lobectomy, after years of response to EGFR-targeted therapy for initially Stage IV lung cancer.

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