Surgery: 2,208 Real Stories

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

Cancer Stories

A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage I Breast CancerBreast Cancer

A Breast Cancer Survivor Later Diagnosed With a Separate Metastatic Cancer Affecting Both Retinas

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

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

Her last breast-cancer follow-up showed no evidence of disease after 5 years of endocrine therapy. She later developed a separate widely metastatic cancer favored to be gastrointestinal or pancreaticobiliary in origin and died after choosing hospice.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IIIA breast cancer history with benign lipid pneumonia mimicking lung malignancy

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

Prior Stage IIIA breast cancer treatment was completed; a later suspicious lung lesion proved to be benign lipid pneumonia rather than recurrence or lung cancer, and she was asymptomatic 1 year after lobectomy with continued surveillance for new right-lung changes.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSurvivorship / Completed Treatment
A patient, who was diagnosed with Colorectal AdenocarcinomaColorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer: using a blood test (ctDNA) to guide immunotherapy after surgery — Case 1

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 50s

Biomarkers: KRAS ; TMB 11 mutations/Mb; loss of MLH1 and PMS2; dMMR/MSI-H; germline multigene panel negative; ctDNA positive after surgery and chemotherapy

Pembrolizumab cleared ctDNA within about 3 months. After completing 1 year of immunotherapy, surveillance CT showed no evidence of disease and ctDNA remained negative.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Colorectal AdenocarcinomaColorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer: using a blood test (ctDNA) to guide immunotherapy after surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 40s

Biomarkers: dMMR/MSI-H; pathogenic germline MLH1 c.1459C>T consistent with Lynch syndrome; postoperative ctDNA rose during chemotherapy and became near-undetectable on pembrolizumab

He continued pembrolizumab with no evidence of disease on interval CT and near-undetectable ctDNA. Grade 1 thyroiditis was monitored without treatment interruption.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Treatment
Gail, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage III Breast Cancer: Gail's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: Luminal A

As of 2024, Gail had Stage III luminal A breast cancer and was awaiting the start of planned treatment with lumpectomy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy.

Our Cancer Stories
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

BRCA2-Positive Breast Cancer in a Woman With Down Syndrome

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-negative, HER2-negative, germline BRCA2 pathogenic variant

Metastatic Site: lungs, bones

The cancer later progressed with lung and bone metastases and extensive cancer spread through lymphatic vessels in both lungs. She died 59 months after breast surgery.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
Jeff, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jeff's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jeff Williams, Male, 50s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver; lungs

As of December 2023, Jeff was living with recurrent Stage IV colorectal cancer, had recently developed more lung tumors, continued chemotherapy locally every 2 weeks, and returned to UT MD Anderson every 3 months for scans.

MD Anderson
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
Chantal, who was diagnosed with Stage II Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage II Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Chantal's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Chantal, Female, Under 40 | Stage II

Biomarkers: Triple-negative breast cancer; BRCA1 mutation

As of December 2023, Chantal reported that she did not currently have cancer, was followed by medical oncology every 3-4 months, and used Signatera testing because tumor markers were not reliable for her.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Breast CancerBreast Cancer

HER2-Positive Mucoepidermoid Breast Cancer With 61 Months Without Recurrence

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 50s

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

She was alive without signs of recurrence after 61 months of follow-up, providing just over 5 years of documented follow-up for this second primary breast cancer.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage I Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Five Years Without Breast Cancer Recurrence Despite a Markedly Elevated CA 15-3

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-positive

Five years after her Stage I breast-cancer diagnosis, breast imaging and systemic evaluation showed no evidence of recurrence. The markedly elevated CA 15-3 was traced to a separate renal tumor and normalized after nephrectomy.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED