Targeted Therapy: 720 Real Stories

720 stories match targeted therapy. 488 of them mention chemotherapy.

Cancer Stories

A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Metastatic ER-positive pleomorphic lobular breast cancer: psoas metastasis and stable disease on eribulin

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

Biomarkers: Primary and chest-wall recurrence were ER/PR positive, HER2 negative. Later psoas metastasis was ER positive, PR/HER2 negative.

Metastatic Site: skin of left chest wall; bone; left psoas muscle;…

As of May 2025, one year after diagnosis of malignant psoas syndrome from breast cancer metastasis, she remained on outpatient treatment with eribulin and had stable disease.

PubMed Central
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
Natasha, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV EGFR Lung Cancer: Natasha's Patient Story

Patient Info: Natasha, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR-positive

Metastatic Site: brain

Natasha had Stage IV EGFR-positive lung cancer with brain metastases. Tagrisso/osimertinib was her main treatment, but a new brain metastasis later appeared and was treated with Gamma Knife. As of May 2025, she was awaiting follow-up MRI while continuing care.

The Patient Story
OutcomeSetback / Progression
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal AdenocarcinomaColorectal Cancer

Metastatic rectal cancer responding well after intensive treatment despite severe chemotherapy complications

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

Biomarkers: KRAS exon 4 mutation, BRAF wild-type, PD-L1 CPS 2

Metastatic Site: liver, lung

After more than 14 months of treatment, the primary rectal tumor and most lung metastases had been resected, liver lesions had largely regressed, and he was described as near NED while continuing maintenance capecitabine plus bevacizumab.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
Samantha, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Stage IV HR-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Samantha's Patient Story

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

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

Metastatic Site: Rib; spine; pelvis

After a mixed response on the radium trial, Samantha changed to anastrozole and abemaciclib. She described the newer hormone-targeted combination as easier to tolerate and working better while remaining in ongoing treatment.

The Patient Story
OutcomeLiving With Cancer / Ongoing Therapy
Kelsey, who was diagnosed with Stage II Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage II HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Kelsey's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive

As of May 2025, Kelsey had completed chemotherapy, double mastectomy with reconstruction, and 16 radiation sessions, and was continuing tamoxifen with Verzenio planned for 2 years plus Lupron ovarian-suppression shots.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal AdenocarcinomaColorectal Cancer

Metastatic Colorectal Cancer With NRG1 Fusion Controlled for Years With Afatinib

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

Biomarkers: MATN-NRG1 fusion; no KRAS alteration detected

Afatinib controlled her metastatic colorectal cancer for 136 weeks. After resection of the remaining target lesion in September 2022, she remained alive with no progression as of October 2024.

PubMed Central
OutcomeStable Disease
A patient, who was diagnosed with Colorectal AdenocarcinomaColorectal Cancer

NRG1-Fusion Colorectal Cancer Progressing on Afatinib

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 70+

Biomarkers: CD74-NRG1 fusion; no KRAS alteration detected

The cancer progressed clinically after 8 weeks on afatinib. She died in November 2021.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
Leah, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

How We Got Here: 6 Young Lung Cancer Patients & Their Paths To Surgery- Part 1

Patient Info: Leah Phillips, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion

Metastatic Site: bone (pelvis; spine; ribs)

As of April 2025, Leah was living with Stage IV EGFR exon 19 deletion lung cancer while continuing Tagrisso after SBRT and right middle lobe lobectomy.

YouTube (JA search)
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Metastatic SMARCA4-Deficient Lung Cancer Controlled for More Than Two Years With Tislelizumab and Fruquintinib

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

Biomarkers: PD-L1 8%; no target-sensitive mutation identified

Metastatic Site: left adrenal gland, cervical lymph nodes

After radiotherapy reduced the cervical-node metastasis, imaging on April 26, 2024 showed stable disease. He ended trial treatment after 2 years and continued regular follow-up.

PubMed Central
OutcomeStable Disease
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IIIA double ALK-fusion lung adenocarcinoma: major pathological response to neoadjuvant alectinib

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

Biomarkers: ALK-rearranged lung adenocarcinoma with both ELMOD3-ALK and EML4-ALK fusions. CEA/NSE/CA19-9 decreased after alectinib.

As of April 2025, he had continued alectinib for 4 years after surgery, with more than 48 months of disease-free survival, no recurrence, and no serious drug-related toxicity.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage 4 ALK-rearranged lung cancer: complete response with alectinib and SBRT

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: EML4-ALK fusion, EGFR wild type. Later tumor: EGFR L858R/T790M and TP53 L194R, without ALK rearrangement.

Metastatic Site: pleura, lymph nodes

As of March 2025, the original ALK-rearranged metastatic disease had responded to alectinib, the separate EGFR-mutant right upper-lobe lesion had responded to SBRT, and PET-CT showed no hypermetabolic lung lesion.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage 4 SMARCA4-deficient lung cancer: ongoing treatment response

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

Biomarkers: SMARCA4-deficient lung cancer with BRG-1 loss, CK/CK7 positive, Ki-67 >40%. CEA

Metastatic Site: sigmoid colon, left adrenal gland

After colon metastasis surgery, continued radiotherapy, and later gemcitabine/nedaplatin/bevacizumab/camrelizumab for adrenal metastasis, the cancer showed a favorable response with no further recurrence or new metastasis reported.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

HER2-positive breast cancer with brain metastases: responding well to T-DXd

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-positive / HER2 IHC 3+

Metastatic Site: brain (left cerebellum, left frontal lobe, medulla)

After 14 months and 19 doses of T-DXd, brain metastases remained controlled with no symptomatic or radiological relapse and no severe T-DXd-related adverse events.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
Stephani, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Stephani's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Stephani St. Cyr, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-targeted treatments reported; no inherited cancer gene mutation found.

Metastatic Site: Bone; liver; brain

As of March 2025, Stephani had Stage IV metastatic breast cancer involving bone, liver, and brain, had no evidence of disease since July 2021, and continued HER2-targeted/systemic therapy.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Luna, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage IV ROS1 Lung Adenocarcinoma: Luna's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: ROS1 rearrangement; EGFR negative; ALK negative

Metastatic Site: liver; bones

Luna had Stage IV ROS1-positive lung adenocarcinoma with liver and bone metastases. After progression on initial chemotherapy, crizotinib led to tumor shrinkage and controlled her cancer for almost 12 years as of March 2025.

The Patient Story
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage I Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

ALK-Fusion Small Cell Lung Cancer Responding to Ensartinib

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

Biomarkers: EML4-ALK fusion; TP53 and RB1 mutations; PD-L1 at least 50%

The recurrent hilar lymph nodes shrank on ensartinib, and treatment was still ongoing at the January 2025 cutoff with more than 12 months without progression.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
Anne, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Anne's Patient Story

Patient Info: Anne Keane, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: bones, liver

Anne had an extraordinary response to first-line treatment for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer and remained on the same HER2-targeted therapy for 6 years.

Dana-Farber
OutcomeResponding Well
Rosemary, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV KRAS Lung Cancer: Rosemary's Patient Story

Patient Info: Rosemary Conway, female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: KRAS mutation

After 14 months on daraxonracib in a clinical trial, Rosemary’s Stage IV lung cancer had stopped growing and she had returned to walking and lifting weights.

Dana-Farber
OutcomeStable Disease
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

EML4-ALK lung cancer: complete remission on alectinib for 4 years

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

Biomarkers: EML4-ALK fusion

Metastatic Site: brain

Alectinib produced complete remission for nearly 4 years; after grade 3 colitis/ulcers, she switched to ceritinib and maintained stable tumor control without recurrent intestinal ulcers or colitis.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well