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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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Jake Found a Lump Putting On Deodorant: It Was Male Breast Cancer.
Jake M., ER+ Male Breast Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Appearance of a lump in the armpit Treatments: Chemotherapy (doxorubicin, paclitaxel), surgeries (full right mastectomy, clear margin re-excision, tracheal tumor excision), radiation therapy, targeted therapy (abemaciclib), hormone therapy (tamoxifen)
abemaciclib (Verzenio), Breast Cancer, Chemotherapy, Clear margin re-excision, doxorubicin (Adriamycin), doxorubicin (Doxil), Hormone Therapies, Male Breast Cancer, Metastatic Male Breast Cancer, paclitaxel (Taxol), Patient Stories, Radiation Therapy, Surgery, tamoxifen, Targeted Therapy, Treatments, Tumor Excision -
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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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“Love is a Choice”: Gray’s Cancer Caregiver Perspective on His Late Wife Samantha’s Metastatic Breast Cancer
Gray M., Spouse of Samantha, Breast Cancer Patient ”They say love is not a feeling — it’s a choice. And we chose it. Samantha definitely chose it. She knew how to engage in the act of loving her family.”
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‘It Saved My Life’: Helen’s Stage 4 Colon Cancer and the Chemo Pump You May Not Have Heard Of
Helen D., Colon Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Pelvic pressure and pain, burning with urination, bloating, constipation for a short period, low energy or fatigue, discomfort sitting, night sweats Treatments: Chemotherapy (FOLFOX, FOLFIRI, hepatic artery infusion pump therapy), targeted therapy (panitumumab), surgeries (liver resection and ablations, colon resection, full hysterectomy)
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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, Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-2 Alpha (HIF2α) Inhibitor, Immunotherapy, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), Kidney Cancer, Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Nephrectomy, Patient Stories, Radical nephrectomy, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Surgery, Targeted Therapy, Treatments, Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) -
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From Hip Pain to Metastatic Breast Cancer: How Mom and Teacher Erica Shows Up for ALL of Her Kids
Erica H., Breast Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Stage 1: appearance of lump in left breast; Stage 4: severe pain in hip, ribs, spine, and shoulder blade Treatments: Surgeries (double mastectomy, reconstruction), chemotherapy, cold caps, radiation therapy, hormone therapy (aromatase inhibitor, letrozole), targeted therapy (CDK4/6 inhibitor, ribociclib), integrative care
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Kelsey’s Stage 4 EGFR+ and ALK+ Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Story
Kelsey D., Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, EGFR+, ALK+, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Severe back pain, falling due to collapsed spinal vertebrae Treatments: Radiation therapy, targeted therapy (tyrosine kinase inhibitor, osimertinib), surgery (spinal fusion surgery), chemotherapy (through a clinical trial)
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Living Every Breath: Megan’s Stage 4 ALK+ Lung Cancer Experience as a Young Mom
Megan F., Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, ALK+, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Chest pain, anxiety, shortness of breath, arm pain and swelling, back pain Treatment: Targeted therapy (lorlatinib)
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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
