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At 23, Summer’s Osteosarcoma Started as Knee Pain That Wouldn’t Go Away
Summer K., Recurrent Osteosarcoma, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Primary Cancer: Soreness and inflammation of the right knee; Recurrence: Appearance of nodules and tumor in lung, and lump on side Treatments: Primary Cancer: Chemotherapy, surgeries (limb-salvage surgery (proximal tibia replacement with gastrocnemius flap), proximal tibia arthroplasty); Recurrence: surgeries (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) wedge lung resection, subcutaneous…
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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 therapy (alectinib, lorlatinib)
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Jade Thought She Had Appendicitis; When She Found Out It Was Stage 4 Appendix Cancer, Her World Changed Forever
Jade F., Appendix Cancer (Appendix Adenocarcinoma with Mucinous Features), Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Constant pain on the right side, constipation, bloatedness, exhaustion Treatments: Surgeries (appendectomy, hemicolectomy, hepatectomy, cytoreductive surgery or CRS), chemotherapy (hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy or HIPEC, FOLFOX)
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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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Navigating Stage 4 Breast Cancer: Betty’s Experience with Bone and Liver Metastases
Betty Jean A., Breast Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic), ER+, PIK3CA, ESR1 Symptom: Lingering severe back pain Treatments: Surgery, chemotherapy (capecitabine), radiation therapy, hormonal therapy (fulvestrant), targeted therapy (ribociclib)
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“I Have Stage 4 Cancer and I’m Living My Best Life”: Adrienne’s Stage 4 Colon Cancer Story
Adrienne F., Colon Cancer (Colon Adenocarcinoma), Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Years of constant fatigue, appearance of a lump in the abdomen Treatments: Chemotherapy (FOLFIRINOX, FOLFOX, FOLFIRI), radiation therapy (Y-90 radioembolization) monoclonal antibody (bevacizumab), ablation therapy, surgery (colon and liver resection)
Ablation therapy, bevacizumab (Avastin), Chemotherapy, Colon, Colon resection, Colorectal, FOLFIRI (folinic acid, fluorouracil, irinotecan), FOLFIRINOX, FOLFOX (folinic acid, fluorouracil, oxaliplatin), Liver Resection, Metastatic Colon Cancer, Monoclonal Antibody, Patient Stories, Radiation Therapy, Surgery, Treatments, Uncategorized, Y-90 radioembolization -
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Young Mom, Big Diagnosis: Shannon’s Story of Stage 4 EGFR+ Lung Cancer, and Her Life on Targeted Therapy
Shannon M., NSCLC, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Persistent neck pain, lingering cough Treatments: Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy
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How ALK‑Positive Targeted Therapy Changed Nancee’s Life with Lung Cancer
How ALK‑Positive Targeted Therapy Changed Nancee’s Life with Lung Cancer ALK‑positive lung cancer with brain metastases, neuropathy, and fatigue, and Nancee’s targeted therapy experience and focus on quality of life.
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The COVID Pandemic Led Straight to Ken’s Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis; Three Years Later, He’s Still Here
Ken S., Colorectal Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Frequent loose bowel movements, intermittent rectal bleeding, fever and chills, rapid and significant weight loss Treatments: Surgeries (total colectomy, liver resection), ablation therapy (liver and lung ablations), chemotherapy (FOLFOX, capecitabine, fluorouracil), monoclonal antibody (panitumumab)
