Thoracotomy: 10 Real Stories

Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Kina's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Kina, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Lungs; lymph node

As of January 2026, Kina described herself as technically having no cancer/no evidence of disease after lung resections, though confirmatory CT was still pending and she was still recovering from complications.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Early-stage triple-negative breast cancer with separate lung carcinoid and later CML

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: triple negative

As of May 2025, serial follow-up breast ultrasound examinations showed no evidence of breast cancer recurrence in either breast tissue or axillary lymph nodes.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Localized lung neuroendocrine tumor/carcinoid: wedge resection after surveillance

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: Well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor, grade I; no lung molecular biomarkers reported

As of May 2025, the localized left lung carcinoid had remained stable during surveillance and was removed by thoracotomy with wedge resection; no lung metastasis was reported.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Lung Cancer Surgery Followed by Severe Arm Ischemia and Amputation

Patient Info: Anonymized, female

A woman in her mid-60s underwent surgery for lung adenocarcinoma and then developed severe arterial-line-related arm ischemia that ultimately required an above-elbow amputation.

PubMed CentralRead more →

SMARCA4-deficient lung cancer: no evidence of disease after lobectomy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s

Biomarkers: ER, and PR negative.

Alive with no evidence of disease after right lower-lobe lobectomy for SMARCA4-deficient NSCLC, with follow-up imaging negative for recurrence and no significant postoperative respiratory issues or complications reported.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage I lung squamous cell carcinoma: surgery and IMRT for localized tracheal recurrence

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

Three months after IMRT, PET-CT and bronchoscopy showed no residual tracheal lesion, no mediastinal lymph-node involvement, and no metastasis; he remained alive in the third year of follow-up with 6-month monitoring.

PubMed CentralRead more →

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 AndersonRead more →

Winged scapula after surgery for right upper-lobe lung adenocarcinoma

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s

Six months of occupational therapy restored near-full shoulder movement, although mild scapular prominence and some permanent limitation remained.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Metastatic Large Cell Neuroendocrine Lung Cancer With No Residual Tumor After Immunotherapy and Surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 50s

Surgical pathology showed fibrosis with no residual cancer, and he remained alive, disease free and off treatment at postoperative follow-up.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IB squamous lung cancer: sleeve lobectomy complicated by pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm

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

As of October 2013, he had normal quality of life and was cancer-free 1 year after the first operation, despite postoperative pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm, completion pneumonectomy, and empyema treatment.

PubMed CentralRead more →