Stage II Gastric Adenocarcinoma: Cece's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Cece, 40s | Stage II

Cece reported being cancer-free from April 2024 after total gastrectomy and lymph node removal, while continuing to manage major long-term effects of living without a stomach.

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Stage IV HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Bethany's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive / hormone-positive

Metastatic Site: Liver; bones; lymph nodes; stomach

As of December 2022, Bethany was living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer after recurrence to the liver, bones, lymph nodes, and stomach, and was on lifelong maintenance treatment after disease shrinkage.

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Stage IV Lung Cancer Reached Remission After Severe Nerve Damage and Neck Surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: left cervical lymph nodes

Considered in complete remission after cervical lymph-node surgery, with no clinical or radiological progression 24 months after systemic treatment; alive and back at work 3 years after diagnosis.

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Recurrent Malignant Ovarian Steroid Cell Tumor Treated With Multiple Therapies

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female

Biomarkers: PIK3CA, and ATM mutations; ER negative; PR negative

She experienced repeated pelvic and lung recurrences. Platinum-based treatment produced a complete PET-CT response and olaparib maintenance provided about 1 year without progression before a 5 mm lung recurrence was surgically removed.

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Stage III Ovarian Cancer During Care for Common Variable Immunodeficiency

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage III

She remained alive on maintenance bevacizumab, with no radiologic evidence of ovarian-cancer progression.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Trevor's Patient Story

Patient Info: Trevor Maxwell, Male, 40s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver

As of November 2022, Trevor was nearly 5 years into Stage IV colon cancer, had undergone colon surgery, chemotherapy, liver resection and multiple surgeries, and was living with ongoing uncertainty while leading Man Up to Cancer.

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A suspected gastric cancer recurrence that proved to be a desmoid tumor

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

More than 2 years after gastrectomy, a suspicious abdominal mass proved to be a desmoid tumor rather than recurrent gastric cancer. No gastric cancer recurrence was identified.

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Recurrent gastric cancer with peritoneal spread and a difficult intestinal fistula

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

Metastatic Site: peritoneum

About 10 years after her original gastrectomy, recurrent gastric cancer with peritoneal spread progressed despite palliative procedures. She died 3 months after her final reoperation.

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Early gastric mixed neuroendocrine and adenocarcinoma treated with endoscopic resection and surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 70+

Annual CT and endoscopic follow-up showed no recurrence or metastasis for 3 years after surgery.

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Malignant Struma Ovarii Managed With Surgery and Long-Term Surveillance

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female

Biomarkers: BRAF mutation negative

She remained asymptomatic with thyroid-stimulating hormone at the treatment goal and entered long-term thyroglobulin surveillance.

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Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Stephanie's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Stephanie, Female, Under 40

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative; genetic testing negative

As of October 2022, Stephanie had completed treatment for triple-negative breast cancer in January 2022, follow-up tests showed she was cancer-free, and she had no evidence of cancer.

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Stage IV PIK3CA Breast Cancer: Abigail's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: Hormone-positive breast cancer with PIK3CA mutation and germline ATM mutation; later PD-L1 somatic change reported. HER2 not stated.

Metastatic Site: Bone, including femurs, spine, and humeri; later liver

As of October 2022, Abigail was living with Stage IV hormone-positive metastatic breast cancer after years of treatment, bone-dominant disease that later involved the liver, targeted therapies, genomic testing, and advocacy around clinical trials and patient research participation.

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Breast Cancer: Sharon's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Sharon Kovach, Female, 60s

Sharon, age 63 at the time of the story, had remained in remission since completing treatment for recurrence in 2003.

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Stage III Testicular Cancer: Felipe's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Felipe Soltero, Male, Under 40 | Stage III

Biomarkers: alpha-fetoprotein elevated; lactate dehydrogenase elevated

After surgery and BEP chemotherapy for Stage III metastatic testicular cancer, Felipe was cancer-free for more than 1 year as of October 2022.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer Reclassified After NTRK Fusion Testing

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ETV6-NTRK3 fusion detected in tissue but not circulating tumor DNA; ER low-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative; PD-L1-negative; germline CHEK2 variant of uncertain significance

Metastatic Site: lungs and pleura; hilar, mediastinal and retrocaval…

After tissue testing identified an ETV6-NTRK3 fusion, treatment with larotrectinib produced a rapid clinical and radiological response.

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Stage IIIC Primary Ovarian Leiomyosarcoma Treated With Debulking Surgery and Chemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage III

Biomarkers: SMA positive; caldesmon positive; Ki-67 15%–20%; p53 negative

She recovered from extensive cytoreductive surgery, reported resolution of her symptoms, and began planned adjuvant Adriamycin and ifosfamide.

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Recurrent Malignant Phyllodes Tumor Requiring Major Chest Wall Reconstruction

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female

Two months after completing postoperative chemotherapy and radiation, she developed pneumonia and respiratory failure and died.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Lianne's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lianne Kraemer, female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: brain

Six years after brain metastases were diagnosed, Lianne remained in active follow-up with scans and treatment decisions every 8 weeks while living with metastatic breast cancer.

Dana-FarberRead more →

HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Feyama's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Feyama Ashby, Female

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

As of September 2022, Feyama had completed chemotherapy, lumpectomy with lymph-node removal, reconstruction, and 6 weeks of VMAT radiation, and was entering close monitoring for 5 years before survivorship clinic follow-up.

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Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Kara's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Kara Niewohner, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: BRCA2 mutation; triple-negative

No trace of breast cancer remained after the September 2021 double mastectomy, and no radiation or additional breast-cancer treatment was needed.

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Cancer in Accessory Breast Tissue Under Both Arms in a Man

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male

Biomarkers: Left tumor: HER2-positive by gene amplification; ER-negative; PR-negative; Ki-67 70%; p53 staining 80%

After surgery removed both accessory-breast cancers, he continued with adjuvant paclitaxel, trastuzumab and radiation.

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Breast radiation completed after severe vertigo during COVID-19 vaccination

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s

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

Four weeks after completing radiation, her skin reaction was improving and she had returned to work briefly, although vertigo was still present.

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Early Gastric Cancer Removed Endoscopically Followed by a Spinal Infection

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage I

The gastric adenocarcinoma was completely removed with negative margins, and follow-up endoscopy showed only a post-treatment scar without new lesions.

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Early gastric adenocarcinoma mimicking a submucosal tumor

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 50s

He remained free of local or distant recurrence during 4 years of follow-up after endoscopic resection.

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