Patient Stories

Six years after preventive surgery: a patient’s future without stomach cancer

Faced with a high risk of developing stomach cancer, David Fogel chose to undergo preventive surgery as part of an NIH research study. Six years later, David is thriving, and so is the research that was made possible by his participation.

The ups and downs of a rare blood cancer won’t stop one resilient patient

Even with a rare cancer diagnosis and a roller-coaster ride of a journey, Luis Miguel Cruz continues to find the motivation to keep moving forward through every setback. Along the way, he has inspired and brought joy to those he has met, both in person and digitally.

Remembering Miranda Leah Hanson-Baseler, an indomitable immunologist

Faced with a uterine sarcoma diagnosis at just 24, Miranda Leah Hanson-Baseler persevered through treatments for 17 years.

Peter Richman, Estefania E. Marchan and their daughter Rafaela

Removing risk of stomach cancer for her daughter

Stomach cancer remains deadly in the United States despite its rarity. After discovering she was at high risk for the disease, Estefania E. Marchan decided to undergo a total gastrectomy. For a subsequent pregnancy, she ensured her daughter would never face the same risks.

Cole Silver at the NIH Clinical Center for a check-up with Dr. Charalampos Floudas.

Immunotherapy options for head and neck cancers abound at CCR

In the spring of 2017, Cole Silver was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. Over the last few years, he has participated in four clinical trials led by Charalampos Floudas, M.D., D.M.Sc., M.S., Assistant Research Physician, and Julius Strauss, M.D., Associate Research Physician, in the Center for Immuno-Oncology. The variety of trials at NIH gives him hope that he may find a treatment that works for him.

Five years later, an immunotherapy trial for prostate cancer sustains hope

In 2018, we interviewed Tom, a retired surgeon battling prostate cancer who, in 2016, enrolled on an immunotherapy clinical trial led by James Gulley, M.D., Ph.D., Co-Director of the Center for Immuno-Oncology. Now, five years since he first started on the trial, his PSA levels have remained undetectable and his scans continue to come back clean.

Living with and learning about neuroendocrine tumors: A conversation with Dr. Jaydira Del Rivero

Jaydira Del Rivero, M.D., Assistant Research Physician in the Developmental Therapeutics Branch, studies neuroendocrine tumors – a rare group of malignant neoplasms that originates from neuroendocrine cells and affects almost any part of the body. In this Q&A, Dr. Del Rivero and a natural history trial participant discuss an ongoing neuroendocrine study and their experiences at NIH.

All about the drive: A rare kidney cancer meets its match at NIH

On New Year’s Eve, 2020, Katie Coleman was diagnosed with a very rare form of advanced kidney cancer. She enrolled in a clinical trial led by a collaborative CCR team that gave her the opportunity to have surgery in hopes of removing her tumors.

Two patient’s stomachs kept “alive” after removal in novel study to understand stomach cancer

Two women with genetic predisposition to stomach cancer participated in a clinical trial at the Center for Cancer Research where their stomachs were removed and kept “alive” for several days, allowing the researchers to study the development of cancer and the effects of different therapies in unprecedented detail. The goal is to better study stomach cancer under realistic conditions and find novel, effective treatments.

Metastatic breast cancer survivor shares her clinical trial story

We’re celebrating breast cancer awareness month by sharing the story of Samantha Seinfeld, a metastatic breast cancer survivor who participated in a CCR first-in-human clinical trial over 10 years ago. Since then, she has remained cancer-free. Margaret Gatti-Mays, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P., Assistant Research Physician in the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, and James Gulley, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of the Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, are currently evaluating Samantha’s unusual immune response in hopes of improving the responses of other patients.

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