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A Cancer Biologist’s Own Body Became Her Hardest Case: Endometrial Cancer (Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma)
Jen S., Endometrial Cancer (Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma), Stage 4B (Metastatic) Symptoms: Abnormal uterine bleeding, coccyx or tailbone pain Treatments: Surgeries (bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with hysterectomy, omentectomy, laparotomy with partial bowel resection), chemotherapy (gemcitabine, docetaxel), targeted therapy (tyrosine kinase inhibitor through a clinical trial), immunotherapy
BSO hysterectomy (bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with hysterectomy), Chemotherapy, docetaxel (Taxotere), Endometrial Cancer, Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma, gemcitabine (Gemzar), Immunotherapy, Laparotomy, Metastatic Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma, Omentectomy, Patient Stories, Surgery, Targeted Therapy, Treatments, Tumor resection, Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI), Uterine -
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Doug Chose Immunotherapy Over Bladder Removal to Treat His Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer
Doug M., Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer, Stage 2 Symptoms: Urinary tract irritation, UTI-like symptoms, frequent urination Treatments: Surgery (transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) with blue light cystoscopy), immunotherapy and antibody-drug conjugate combination
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Allison’s 15 Years of Caregiving Through Fanconi Anemia and Multiple Cancers
Allison B., Spouse of Sean B., Fanconi Anemia (FA) and Skin, Tongue, Bladder, Esophageal, Throat, and Liver Cancer Patient “[Caregivers] are part of the story too; this is going to impact every part of your life and your well-being. Recognize that and name that from the beginning.”
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Brice Was Too Weak to Hold His Daughter; He Was Diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma at 31
Brice D., Multiple Myeloma Symptoms: Worsening fatigue and weakness, bone pain, lower back pain, inexplicable weight loss, poor appetite, shortness of breath, severe anemia Treatments: Chemotherapy (D-VRd, KRd, melphalan), autologous stem cell transplant, immunotherapy (lenalidomide)
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From ‘Routine Hernia’ to Rare Cancer: Katie’s Stage 4 Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma (ASPS) Story
Katie L., Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma (ASPS), Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptom: Appearance of lump in abdominal area Treatments: Radiation therapy, surgeries (abdominal resection with mesh placement, reconstruction), immunotherapy
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Finding Her Voice: Anjee’s Path Through Metastatic Kidney Cancer
Anjee A., Kidney Cancer (Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma with Rhabdoid Features), Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptom: Appearance of blood in urine Treatments: Surgeries (radical nephrectomy, adrenalectomy), immunotherapy (pembrolizumab), TKI inhibitor (axitinib), HIF-2α inhibitor (belzutifan)
Adrenalectomy, axitinib (Inlyta), belzutifan (Welireg), Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-2 Alpha (HIF2α) Inhibitor, Immunotherapy, Kidney Cancer, Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Nephrectomy, Patient Stories, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), Radical nephrectomy, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Surgery, Targeted Therapy, Treatments, Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) -
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More Than a Diagnosis: Finding Community Became Jes’ Lifeline Through Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Jes S., Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) Symptoms: Fatigue, headaches, itch on chest, lump Treatments: Chemotherapy (AC/doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide), immunotherapy, surgery (bilateral mastectomy), biologics
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From Losing His Appetite to Stage 4 Colon Cancer: Joe’s Story
Joe C., Colon Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Loss of appetite, fatigue, malaise, severe pain in the abdominal/liver area, back and shoulder pain, lightheadedness Treatments: Surgery (colon resection), chemotherapy (FOLFOX, capecitabine, FOLFIRI), targeted therapy (panitumumab, a monoclonal antibody), radiation therapy, immunotherapy through a clinical trial
capecitabine (Xeloda), Chemotherapy, Clinical Trials, Colon Cancer, Colon resection, Colorectal Cancer, EGFR Inhibitor, FOLFIRI (folinic acid, fluorouracil, irinotecan), Immunotherapy, Metastatic Colorectal Cancer, Monoclonal Antibody, panitumumab (Vectibix), Patient Stories, Radiation Therapy, Surgery, Targeted Therapy, Treatments -
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A Double Lung Transplant with Stage 4 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Natalie’s Search for Hope
Natalie B., Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Extreme fatigue, severe cough Treatments: Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, clinical trials, radiation therapy, surgery (double lung transplant)
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From Fitness-Focused to Stage 4 Melanoma: Jenn’s Cancer Story
Jenn F., Melanoma, Stage 4 Symptoms: Initially asymptomatic, then a lump in the groin enlarged and changed color Treatments: Surgery (lymphadenectomy), radiation therapy (Gamma Knife radiosurgery), immunotherapy (Opdivo/nivolumab and Yervoy/ipilimumab)
