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Not 100% Sure He’d Survive Stomach Cancer Surgery, Frank Proposed to His Partner First
Frank R., Stomach Cancer Symptoms: Elevated resting heart rate, slow internal gastrointestinal bleeding, severe anemia, vomiting blood Treatments: Chemotherapy, surgeries (total gastrectomy, lymphadenectomy)
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Ashley Was Told It Was Nothing, Until a Lesion Changed Everything: She Had Multiple Myeloma
Ashley J., Multiple Myeloma Symptoms: Extreme pelvic pain, fatigue Treatments: Radiation therapy, chemotherapy
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16 Years, 8 Tumors, 5 Recurrences: How Lisa Learned to Live With Cholangiocarcinoma as a Chronic Illness
Lisa Craine, Bile Duct Cancer (Cholangiocarcinoma) Symptoms: Pale stools, pain under the right breast, persistent fatigue, noted paleness Treatments: Surgeries (partial hepatectomy, additional surgeries for recurrences), chemotherapy (across several recurrences), radiation therapy (stereotactic body radiotherapy), monoclonal antibody (durvalumab)
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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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A Rash Only My Wife Worried About Turned Out to Be BPDCN, an Ultra-Rare Blood Cancer
Jim T., Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm (BPDCN) Symptoms:Persistent itching, rash on the upper back Treatments: Targeted therapy (tagraxofusp/Elzonris), allogeneic stem cell transplant
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Mayo Clinic Rewrote Courtney’s Diagnosis: Composite Lymphoma
Courney L., Composite Lymphoma Symptoms: Firm, non-movable lump near the left elbow and the area became warm and discolored, with swelling gradually spreading through the arm; increasing heaviness, weakness, shaking, numbness, and tingling in the left arm, eventually struggling to hold up the arm or use it normally; night sweats; overwhelming fatigue; loss of appetite;…
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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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14 Years Later and Still Here: How Katie Smith Has Survived ‘Inoperable’ Brain Cancer
Katie S., Glioblastoma, Grade 4, IDH1+ Symptoms: Left arm heaviness and weakness, reduced fine motor control in the left hand, intermittent tingling in the left fingers Treatments: Surgeries (craniotomy, twice), radiation therapy, chemotherapy (temozolomide, CCNU), monoclonal antibody (bevacizumab)
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Yvonne McClaren’s Stage 4 Head and Neck Cancer Diagnosis, and the Life She Built Afterwards
Yvonne McClaren, Head and Neck Cancer (Oropharyngeal Cancer), Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptom: Persistent one-sided sore throat Treatments: Surgeries (bilateral tonsillectomy, partial throat resection, neck dissection), chemotherapy, radiation therapy
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From Multiple Tumors to a Liver Transplant: How Keaton Survived Rare Bile Duct Cancer (Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma)
Keaton H., Bile Duct Cancer (Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma) Symptoms: Mild heartburn and gastrointestinal discomfort, persistent low-grade abdominal pain Treatments: Chemotherapy (gemcitabine, cisplatin, FOLFOX), monoclonal antibodies (durvalumab, zenocutuzumab), radiation therapy (Y-90 radioembolization), surgery (liver transplant)
Bile Duct Cancer, Chemotherapy, cisplatin (Platinol), durvalumab (Imfinzi), FOLFOX (folinic acid, fluorouracil, oxaliplatin), gemcitabine (Gemzar), Immunotherapy, Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma, Liver transplant, Monoclonal Antibody, Patient Stories, Radiation Therapy, Treatments, Y-90 radioembolization, zenocutuzumab (Bizengri)
