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A Darker Mole on Her Face: How a Skin Check and Self-Advocacy Caught Cheryl’s Stage 1 Melanoma
Cheryl M., Melanoma, Stage 1 & Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Stage 0 Symptom: Preexisting mole that appeared darker than other moles, with shadowing visible around it Treatments: Surgery (wide excision surgery with sentinel lymph node biopsy), cryosurgery, chemotherapy (topical cream)
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“Always Have Hope”: Tiffany’s Stage 4 EGFR-Positive Lung Cancer Experience
Tiffany F., Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Stage 4 (Metastatic), EGFR+, T790M Symptoms: Immense fatigue, over 70 pounds of unintentional weight loss, migraines and ocular migraine, vision changes, seizure Treatments: Surgery (craniotomy), radiation therapy (CyberKnife), targeted therapy (erlotinib, osimertinib)
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Diagnosed with Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer at 21, Brandon Refused to Wait for Answers
Brandon P., Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC), High-Grade Symptoms: Intermittent blood in the urine, blood clots in the urine Treatments: Surgeries (transurethral resection of bladder tumor or TURBT, re-TURBT with blue light cystoscopy), immunotherapy (BCG)
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Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer and a Second Chance at Life: Caroline’s Story of Hope
Caroline M., Colorectal Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic), BMPR1A, SMAD4 & Juvenile Polyposis Syndrome (JPS), Symptoms: Shoulder pain, rapid weight loss, abdominal cramping and pain, jaundice Treatments: Chemotherapy, surgeries (colon tumor removal, multi‑stage liver surgeries including hepatectomy, liver transplant), clinical trial (HAI pump/floxuridine)
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Sian’s Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Diagnosis Was Followed by HER2+ Breast Cancer and a Recurrence
Sian M., Neuroendocrine Carcinoma (Stage 4) & Breast Cancer, HER2+ (Stage 1A) Symptoms: Neuroendocrine carcinoma: Loss of smell, persistent congestion; Breast cancer: None; detected via routine mammogram Treatments: Neuroendocrine carcinoma: Surgeries (tumor removal, endoscopic skull base surgery with dura and tissue repair), chemotherapy (cisplatin and etoposide), radiation therapy; Breast cancer: Surgeries (lymph node and tumor…
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From Pneumonia to Stage 4 ALK-Positive Lung Cancer: How Jennifer Learned to Push Back and Speak Up
Jessica W., Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Stage 4 (Metastatic), ALK+ Symptoms: Left-sided rib pain, fatigue with the need for daytime naps, interruptive and persistent cough Treatments: Radiation therapy (targeted radiation), targeted therapy (alectinib, lorlatinib), monoclonal antibody (bevacizumab), biphosphonate (zoledronic acid), chemotherapy (upcoming)
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A Routine Physical Found Craig’s Stage 4 Prostate Cancer Before Any Symptoms Showed
Craig N., Prostate Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic), Gleason 9 Symptoms: None; caught elevated PSA at routine physical Treatments: Surgery (robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy), chemotherapy (docetaxel), hormone therapies (leuprolide and enzalutamide), radiation therapy, targeted therapies (abiraterone with prednisone, lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan), clinical trial (antibody-drug conjugate), monoclonal antibody (denosumab) (planned)
abiraterone (Zytiga), Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs), Chemotherapy, denosumab (Xgeva), docetaxel (Taxotere), enzalutamide (Xtandi), Hormone Therapies, leuprolide (Lupron), lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto), Metastatic Prostate Cancer, Monoclonal Antibody, Patient Stories, prednisone, Prostate Cancer, Prostatectomy (radical), Radiation Therapy, Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP), Steroids, Surgery, Targeted Therapy, Treatments -
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Every Symptom Had an Explanation: One Young Mom’s Burkitt Lymphoma Experience
Jessica S., Burkitt Lymphoma, Stage 4 Symptoms: Extreme fatigue, back pain (sacroiliac joint area), severe tooth pain, growing lump in the jaw, multiple lumps on the head (that initially appeared as hematomas), difficulty walking, inability to lift the baby, severe pain preventing sleep Treatment: Chemotherapy
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I Thought It Was Just Bloating; It Was Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer
Joy K., Ovarian Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic), BRCA2+ Symptoms: Sprain-like abdominal pain, severe bloating/abdominal hardness, ascites (massive fluid buildup in stomach), inflammation, exhaustion Treatments: Paracentesis (fluid drainage), chemotherapy, monoclonal antibody (bevacizumab), surgery, PARP inhibitor (olaparib)
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My Breast Cancer Diagnosis at 15 Weeks Pregnant as a Surrogate: Shelby’s Extraordinary Story
Shelby M., Breast Cancer, Stage 2B, HER2+ Symptom: Palpable breast lump Treatments: Surgery (bilateral mastectomy), chemotherapy (doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel), targeted therapy (planned post-delivery)
