Stage IV Breast Cancer: Kirby's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kirby Lewis, Male | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: lung|spine

Kirby was living with metastatic breast cancer, and his most recent scans showed the right-lung tumor was stable with no signs of progression while he continued fulvestrant and palbociclib.

Stage IV BRCA2 Breast Cancer: Lisa's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lisa Quinn, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Inherited BRCA2 mutation

Metastatic Site: bone, liver

Lisa Quinn died on August 30, 2021, after sharing her experience with metastatic breast cancer and advocating for cancer research funding.

Tomma Hargraves: Choosing to Help Other Patients after Surviving Lung Cancer

Patient Info: Tomma Hargraves | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: brain

After treatment and a later recurrence, Tomma went many years without further cancer treatment and became a patient navigator and advocate. She died on September 7, 2023.

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Dan's Patient Story

Patient Info: Dan DiNardo, Male, 40s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Left femoral ball/hip; spine; lymph nodes; chest

As of January 2020, Dan was living with metastatic recurrent male breast cancer on ongoing hormone-blocking therapy plus a CDK4/6 inhibitor after surgery and hip radiation; his cancer had shown no growth for 1 year.

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Clival skull-base metastasis during treatment for Stage IV gastric cancer

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

Biomarkers: HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: peritoneum, cervical lymph nodes, pelvic bone, lungs,…

At publication he was alive on fourth-line treatment, with no disease progression for 6 months after the clival metastasis was treated and with sustained improvement in his cranial-nerve symptoms.

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Stage IV EGFR-mutated lung cancer responding to osimertinib despite new lung opacities

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

Biomarkers: EGFR L858R mutation; EGFR T790M mutation

Metastatic Site: bilateral lungs

Over the following year on osimertinib, imaging showed an excellent tumour response with gradual improvement of the lung opacities and sustained clinical improvement.

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Osimertinib rechallenge after severe pneumonitis in Stage IV lung cancer

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

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion; acquired EGFR T790M mutation

Metastatic Site: pleura, liver, bone, leptomeninges

She initially regained a significant response after osimertinib rechallenge without recurrent pneumonitis, but developed progressive leptomeningeal disease after 11 months.

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Stage II Breast Cancer: Cherie's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Cherie, Female, 60s | Stage II

Cherie completed treatment and described herself as being in remission. She remained concerned about recurrence but shifted her focus toward family and retirement.

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Erlotinib-related uveitis during treatment for stage IV EGFR-mutated lung cancer

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

Biomarkers: EGFR L858R mutation-positive.

A partial response to erlotinib was maintained at six months, while the uveitis resolved and did not recur after treatment resumed at a lower dose.

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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 IV RET Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Sara's Patient Story

Patient Info: Sara Whitlock, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: RET fusion-positive NSCLC

Metastatic Site: Brain; abdomen; bowel

As of November 2019, Sara had Stage IV RET fusion-positive NSCLC with a long-term response and no signs of cancer while taking selpercatinib/LOXO-292 on a clinical trial, with ongoing monthly follow-up.

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Severe reversible neurologic toxicity after apatinib for metastatic gastric cancer

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

Metastatic Site: bone, adrenal glands

At follow-up in April 2019, he was alive and independent about 7 years after his Stage IV diagnosis, with apatinib permanently stopped after the neurologic toxicity.

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Stage IV ALK Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: James's Patient Story

Patient Info: James “Rocky” Lagno, Male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK-positive

Metastatic Site: brain

After starting ceritinib through compassionate use, Rocky reported stable disease from the middle of 2013 with quality of life close to his pre-diagnosis level, while recognizing that he was not in remission or cancer-free.

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Janet's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Janet Klein, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Bone: left iliac bone

Janet’s Stage 1 breast cancer later recurred and metastasized to the left iliac bone, but she had no sign of cancer from January 2010 onward while continuing palbociclib plus letrozole.

Stage IV EGFR Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Ginger's Patient Story

Patient Info: Ginger Tam, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR mutation

Ginger lived for more than 5 years with metastatic lung cancer while receiving multiple research-driven treatments. She died on February 10, 2018.

Stage III BRCA1 Ovarian Cancer: Patty's Patient Story

Patient Info: Patty Klein, Female | Stage III

Biomarkers: BRCA1 mutation

Patty was able to continue the olaparib plus BKM120 clinical trial as long as her tumor remained controlled. She later died.

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

Patient Info: Kate Watson, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: Chest lymph nodes; spine; pelvis; femur

As of October 2019, Kate had been in remission for about 3 years with regular PET scans showing no evidence of active disease, while continuing monthly HER2-targeted maintenance treatment.

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Breast Cancer Recurrence in the Parotid Gland Eight Years Later

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

Biomarkers: Primary breast tumor: ER-positive and HER2-positive. Parotid metastasis: ER-positive, PR-negative, and HER2-positive.

Metastatic Site: left parotid gland

The isolated parotid metastasis was completely resected, one-month PET-CT showed no significant abnormality, and endocrine therapy continued with exemestane.

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Severe lung injury during panitumumab treatment for metastatic colon cancer

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

Metastatic Site: lungs, bones, pelvis

She died from respiratory failure 13 days after the onset of pulmonary symptoms. Autopsy showed diffuse alveolar damage consistent with acute respiratory distress syndrome and metastatic colon adenocarcinoma in the right lung.

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Metastatic Colon Cancer With KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF Mutations

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

Biomarkers: KRAS exon 3 ; NRAS exon 2 ; BRAF exon 10 ; PIK3CA exon 2 .

Metastatic Site: liver

The liver metastases progressed despite FOLFOX and bevacizumab, and he died within one year of the initial diagnosis.

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Lung Cancer Metastasis to the Iris Treated With Bevacizumab

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

Metastatic Site: right iris

The iris lesion and eye symptoms improved after bevacizumab, but he later died from systemic complications of metastatic lung cancer.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer Presenting With Severe Pulmonary Hypertension

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive.

Metastatic Site: bone; bone marrow

At seven months, she was doing well with a marked response on PET imaging, normalized right-heart pressures, and ongoing systemic treatment with palbociclib.

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Metastatic Rectal Cancer Complicated by Salmonella-Related Bowel Perforation

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

Metastatic Site: liver; lungs

Postoperative infection and wound complications delayed palliative chemotherapy, and he died from metastatic rectal cancer one year later.

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Long-term survival after surgery for colon cancer with a stomach metastasis

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

Metastatic Site: stomach

She had no signs of recurrence 7 years and 4 months after surgery and was living with good quality of life.

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