Locally advanced male breast cancer associated with a pathogenic ATM variant

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 50s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: ER 100% positive; PR 100% positive; HER2-negative; Ki-67 30%; germline pathogenic ATM variant c.2921+1G>A.

Two years after diagnosis, he had an ECOG performance status of 0 and remained without signs of breast-cancer relapse or another primary cancer.

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Perforated appendicitis after surgery for stage I rectal cancer

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

He recovered well after appendicectomy, was doing well at the four-week review, and remained under intensive rectal-cancer follow-up with community stoma and wound-care support.

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Stage I Lung Cancer: Deborah's Patient Story

Patient Info: Deborah Schroeder, Female | Stage I

As of December 2020, Deborah had completed 3 separate 4-day SBRT courses for Stage I lung cancers and remained under monitoring for about 10 tiny lung nodules that had been stable for years.

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Colon Cancer Survivor: "I Didn't Think I Had Symptoms, Diagnosed Stage 3B" | Shelley's Story

Patient Info: Shelley Brown, Female | Stage III

As of October 2020, Shelley was in remission / no evidence of disease several years after Stage IIIB sigmoid colon cancer treatment, with ongoing surveillance by scans, CEA, and colonoscopy.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Allison's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Allison, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

As of August 2020, Allison reported no evidence of disease on follow-up scans while continuing survivorship care after rectal-cancer treatment.

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Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Brooks's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Brooks Bell, Female | Stage III

As of July 2020, Brooks had no cancer found during follow-up colonoscopy, though new polyps were removed or biopsied and repeat colonoscopy was recommended in 1 year because polyps appeared to return quickly.

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Cancer Survivor Story: Colon Cancer (Lynch Syndrome)

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

Biomarkers: Lynch syndrome; MSI-high / dMMR

As of May 2020, Shannon was considered cancer-free after surgery-only treatment for Stage IIA MSI-high/Lynch-associated colon cancer and remained on strict Lynch syndrome surveillance.

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Colon Cancer Stories: Barbara Majeski

Patient Info: Barbara Majeski, Female, 40s | Stage III

As of May 2020, Barbara was approaching the 5-year mark after Stage III colon cancer, with blood tests every 6 months and annual scans reported as good/clear.

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Occult breast cancer found in the axillary lymph nodes during diagnosis of four cancers

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: ER 90% positive; HER2 overexpression; CK19-positive; mammaglobin-positive.

Almost four years after the synchronous cancer diagnoses, she was alive without recurrence and continued letrozole and oncology follow-up.

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Early metaplastic breast cancer treated alongside a separate lung cancer

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

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

At 24 months, breast MRI showed no recurrent breast cancer after surgery and six cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin.

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Multifocal stage IIIA lung adenocarcinoma responding to nivolumab

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

Biomarkers: CK7-positive; TTF-1-positive; napsin-A-positive; PD-L1 85% positive.

The biopsied lung nodule nearly resolved after four nivolumab cycles, and the remaining pulmonary nodules were stable at 24 months.

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Surgery for an isolated splenic metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma

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

Metastatic Site: spleen

Nine months after removal of the isolated splenic metastasis, follow-up showed no local or disseminated recurrence and she remained under regular lung-cancer surveillance.

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A benign liver granuloma mimicked rectal-cancer recurrence after chemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 40s

Rectal resection showed a pathologic complete response, and the enlarging liver lesion was repeatedly confirmed as non-malignant granulomatous inflammation rather than metastatic recurrence.

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More than 10 years living with relapsing extensive-stage small cell lung cancer

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

Biomarkers: Chromogranin-positive.

Metastatic Site: pleura; pancreas; left kidney and perinephric region

After five treatment lines and several metastatic relapses over more than 10 years, his latest irinotecan and carboplatin course produced another partial response and he was doing well at the last follow-up.

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Early breast cancer followed 19 years later by a radiation-related breast sarcoma

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

Biomarkers: Strongly ER-positive; strongly PR-positive.

The stage IA breast carcinoma remained disease-free for 19 years; a later right-breast mass was a separate radiation-induced sarcoma rather than recurrent carcinoma.

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Small cell lung cancer found through a disabling paraneoplastic neuropathy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s

Biomarkers: Anti-CRMP5 antibody-positive.

She completed chemotherapy and radiation and entered oncology follow-up, while the disabling sensory and motor neuropathy persisted and rehabilitation continued.

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Dramatic chemotherapy response in stage IIIB triple-negative breast cancer

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

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative; BRCA1-negative; BRCA2-negative; germline FLCN c.1285delC associated with Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome; tumor TP53 p.T150fs.

Eighteen months after surgery, she had no recurrence following a dramatic chemotherapy response, bilateral mastectomy, chest-wall radiation, and adjuvant capecitabine.

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Breast Cancer: Constance's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Constance Porter, Female

As of January 2020, Constance was cancer-free 3 years after breast cancer diagnosis, while living with permanent hair loss, joint pain from anastrozole, and occasional leg cramps.

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A uterine mass revealed a rare metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma

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

Biomarkers: CK7-positive; TTF-1-positive; CK20-negative; PAX8-negative; GATA3-negative.

Metastatic Site: uterus within a leiomyoma

Twelve months after removal of the uterine metastasis, she remained well with normal surveillance imaging and no concern for recurrent disease.

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Stage IIIA breast cancer treated alongside a synchronous colon cancer

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

Two years after surgery, she remained well with no CT evidence of metastasis or recurrence while continuing endocrine therapy and six-monthly follow-up.

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Stage I colon cancer found during treatment planning for breast cancer

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

Biomarkers: MSH2, MSH6, MLH1, and PMS2 expression preserved.

Two years after surgery, she remained well with no CT evidence of metastatic disease or recurrence while continuing six-monthly follow-up.

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Colon Cancer Discovered During Emergency Surgery for Intussusception

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

She recovered from emergency surgery, was managed conservatively without chemotherapy, and continued regular follow-up after discharge to a nursing home.

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Unexpected Miscarriage During Tamoxifen Treatment for Breast Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

Four years after mastectomy, she remained on tamoxifen and recent imaging of the opposite breast was normal.

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Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Anatole's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Anatole Karpovs, Male, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Liver

As of October 2018, Anatole had no evidence of disease after liver surgery and FOLFIRI for a July 2014 liver recurrence, and had been cancer-free for almost 4 years while recognizing that microscopic disease could still be possible.

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