27-Year-Old Beats Rare Ovarian Cancer Twice at MD Anderson

After a year of unexplained abdominal pain and countless appointments, a CT scan finally revealed the truth: 27-year-old Caitlin Koehler had an 11-centimeter mass on her ovary. The diagnosis that followed was even more shocking: squamous cell carcinoma arising in a teratoma, an extremely rare type of ovarian cancer.

Caitlin knew exactly where she wanted to go. Her family had struggled with another cancer center in 2018 when her father was misdiagnosed, so when doctors added "rare" to her cancer type, she immediately asked for a referral to UT MD Anderson in Houston.

Within days of her dad making the call, Caitlin met with gynecologic oncologist Dr. Roni Wilke. The team sprang into action, assembling a group of specialists to review her case and create a custom treatment plan.

Caitlin started chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel, plus targeted therapy bevacizumab. When molecular testing revealed her tumor had high PD-L1 protein expression, her team added immunotherapy pembrolizumab on her third cycle.

Every three weeks for six months, Caitlin spent six hours receiving infusions. Her mom sat beside her through it all while Caitlin cracked jokes and kept spirits high. Thanks to anti-nausea medication, she avoided the worst side effects, though she temporarily lost her sense of taste and smell.

The treatment worked. Caitlin completed chemotherapy in 2024 and continued maintenance therapy.

Then in February 2025, routine scans found new growths. But Caitlin's team was ready with another plan: debulking surgery to remove the recurrence along with a portion of her small intestine and omentum. Surgeons successfully preserved her uterus and left ovary, keeping her fertility options open.

Why This Inspires

Rare cancers affect fewer than 200,000 Americans each year, making treatment plans harder to develop. Caitlin's story shows how specialized cancer centers with multidisciplinary teams can tackle even the rarest diagnoses. Her doctors didn't just treat her cancer; they listened to her concerns about fertility, adjusted her treatment based on molecular testing, and caught her recurrence early through careful monitoring.

Young adults like Caitlin face unique challenges when diagnosed with cancer, from fertility concerns to finding age-appropriate support. But with the right team and personalized care, they're beating cancers once considered untreatable.

Today, all of Caitlin's scans show no evidence of disease. She continues maintenance therapy and regular monitoring, living proof that rare doesn't mean impossible when you have experts in your corner.