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14 Years Into Metastatic Breast Cancer, Lesley Glenn Asks for a New Biopsy at Every Progression
Lesley Glenn, Breast Cancer, Stage 4 (De Novo Oligometastatic), HER2-Low, ER+ Symptom: Appearance of a palpable lump in breast Treatments: Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery (tumor resection), hormone therapy (tamoxifen), targeted therapy
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Growing Up, Her Father Had Stage 4 Colon Cancer, Then She Was Diagnosed at 43
Kathryn W., Colon Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Abdominal pain, shortness of breath, dark thin stools, exhaustion Treatments: Surgeries (right hemicolectomy, right hepatectomy, abdominal resections, right lung resection, left lung resection), chemotherapy (FOLFOX)
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Kiana Had a Heart Transplant in 2023; Six Months Later She Was Diagnosed With Stage 4 DLBCL
Kiana Had a Heart Transplant in 2023; Six Months Later She Was Diagnosed With Stage 4 DLBCL Kiana had a transplant in October 2023 to replace a heart that had been failing since 2019. Her diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) story started when she was still recovering from the operation in the spring of 2024.…
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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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Kristin Thought She Was Burned Out; It Was Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer
Kristin L., Ovarian Cancer (High-Grade Serous Carcinoma), Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Fatigue, bloating, shortness of breath, increased frequency of urination, chest pains, bleeding for 30 days straight, steady pain on left side Treatments: Chemotherapy (paclitaxel, carboplatin, gemcitabine, doxorubicin), surgery (debulking surgery with HIPEC), monoclonal antibody (bevacizumab), clinical trial (mirvetuximab soravtansine and a PARP inhibitor)
Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs), bevacizumab (Avastin), carboplatin, Chemotherapy, Clinical Trials, Debulking, doxorubicin (Adriamycin), gemcitabine (Gemzar), High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer, HIPEC (Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy), Immunotherapy, Metastatic High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer, mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere), Monoclonal Antibody, Ovarian Cancer, paclitaxel (Abraxane, Taxol), PARP Inhibitor, Patient Stories, Surgery, Treatments -
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Two Years of ‘It’s Just Anxiety’ Before an X-ray Found Stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma
Rhea G., Hodgkin Lymphoma, Stage 4 Symptoms: Debilitating leg pain, severe chest pain, heart palpitations, amenorrhea, intense night sweats Treatments: Pericardiocentesis, chemotherapy (AVD), immunotherapy, hormone therapy (goserelin)
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“I have a good quality of life for a stage 4 cancer patient.”: Summer Farmen’s ALK-Positive Lung Cancer Story
Summer Farmen, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Stage 4 (Metastatic), ALK+ Symptoms: Persistent cough that was initially treated as pneumonia, collapsed right lung, pleural effusion Treatment: Targeted therapy
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Diagnosed at 32 for Stage 4 Breast Cancer; Claire’s Now Three Years Cancer-Free
Claire W., Breast Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic), HER2+ Symptom: Swollen and rock-hard breast Treatments: Chemotherapy, monoclonal antibody (trastuzumab, ongoing maintenance), surgeries (unilateral mastectomy of the right breast, full axillary lymph node clearance), radiation therapy
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Kelsey’s Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (Primary Mediastinal B-Cell Lymphoma or PMBCL) Diagnosis
Kelsey S., Primary Mediastinal B-Cell Lymphoma, Stage 4 Symptoms: Bulging jugular vein, vasovagal fainting episode, shortness of breath, dry cough Treatments: Chemotherapy, filgrastim
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JJ Was 27 and Thought He’d Beaten Colorectal Cancer. Six Weeks Later, He Learned It Had Spread.
JJ S., Colorectal Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Throbbing in the abdomen that he thought was a pulled muscle, indigestion, not wanting to eat, appearance of blood in stool, rapid and unexplained weight loss (four or five pounds a week), skin turning gray, sleeping 12 to 14 hours a night Treatments: Surgery (resection of tumor),…
