Stage IV Breast Cancer: Nathalie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Nathalie | Stage IV

Nathalie had been living with stage 4 breast cancer for more than three years and remained focused on time with her children.

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Stage II BRCA1 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Stephanie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Stephanie Hargis, Female, Under 40 | Stage II

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative; BRCA1 mutation

Stephanie had Stage II triple-negative breast cancer with BRCA1 mutation, then a local recurrence in April 2023 without distant spread; after surgery, chemotherapy, Keytruda, radiation, and Lynparza, she remained in ongoing post-recurrence treatment.

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Triple-Negative Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Katherine's Patient Story

Patient Info: Katherine Humphrey, Female, Under 40

Biomarkers: triple-negative

Recovering after bilateral mastectomy and additional chemotherapy, with capecitabine planned for fall 2026.

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HER2-positive breast cancer complicated by severe anemia during chemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 40s | Stage III

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-positive; germline BRCA1 likely pathogenic mutation

At 4.5-year follow-up, she remained free of breast-cancer recurrence and had no recurrence of the severe treatment-related anemia.

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Rare Breast Neuroendocrine Cancer That Recurred in the Liver

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+ | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Chromogranin-positive; synaptophysin-positive; GATA-3-positive; ER-positive; PR negative on repeat biopsy and 40% positive on the mastectomy specimen; HER2-negative; Ki-67 85–95%

Metastatic Site: Liver; abdominal lymph nodes

After temporary responses to surgery and repeated chemotherapy, the cancer returned repeatedly in the liver and had spread to abdominal lymph nodes by May 2025. A new chemotherapy regimen was planned.

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Stage IV HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Alison's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Alison, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: Cervical/neck lymph nodes

Alison reported complete remission since August 2017 while continuing intermittent maintenance chemotherapy, most recently 1 month of treatment followed by 2 months off.

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Stage IV HR-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Shari's Patient Story

Patient Info: Shari S., Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-positive and HER2-positive; no inherited cancer mutation was identified

Metastatic Site: Brain; other initial metastatic sites were not named

Systemic imaging after chemotherapy showed no active disease, but brain metastases later required stereotactic radiation. Shari remained stage 4, continued Herceptin every 3 weeks and underwent brain MRI every 3–4 months.

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Stage II Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Lucy's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Lucy, Female, Under 40 | Stage II

Biomarkers: Germline BRCA1 mutation; triple-negative breast cancer

Surgical pathology was all clear on June 17 after a strong chemotherapy response. Lucy described herself as cancer-free and continued oncology reviews every 3–4 months while planning delayed reconstruction.

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Stage IV Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Erin's Patient Story

Patient Info: Erin, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative; later tumor responded to androgen signaling

Metastatic Site: Lung; brain

As of June 2026, Erin was living with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer involving lung and brain, with tumors shrinking on ongoing Gemzar plus carboplatin chemotherapy every 2 weeks.

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Stage III HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Genoa's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Genoa M., Female | Stage III

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; ER-positive

As of June 2026, Genoa had completed treatment for Stage III HER2-positive, ER-positive breast cancer with neoadjuvant Taxotere/carboplatin/trastuzumab, lumpectomy, and radiation, and was focused on survivorship and rebuilding life after treatment.

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Stage IV HER2-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Renee's Patient Story

Patient Info: Renee N., Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: Brain

As of June 2026, Renee’s public story described living with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer as a chronic illness, after brain radiation and while on Kadcyla every 3 weeks with stable scans reported in December 2019 and early March 2020.

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Stage IIB triple-negative metaplastic breast cancer with early metastatic recurrence: durable response to pembrolizumab-based therapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Triple-negative metaplastic breast cancer with PD-L1 CPS 83.2, BRCA1/2 negative

Metastatic Site: lung, sternum

As of May 2026, she had more than 30 months of disease control after pembrolizumab-based therapy for early recurrent metastatic metaplastic breast cancer, with only mild residual sternal uptake and no disease progression.

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Metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer complicated by severe low magnesium

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: bone|lungs|liver|brain

She died during a hospitalization for advanced metastatic breast cancer and severe treatment-related hypomagnesemia, with her final care focused on comfort.

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Metastatic invasive lobular breast cancer with stomach, ovarian, peritoneal, rectal, and jejunal spread

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Primary tumor and gastric metastasis were ER/PR positive and HER2 negative; GATA3 supported breast origin in the metastasis.

Metastatic Site: stomach; ovaries; peritoneum; rectum; jejunum

During 2025, she remained under active oncologic management for metastatic invasive lobular breast cancer with gastrointestinal, ovarian, peritoneal, rectal, and jejunal involvement.

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Triple-negative breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy: remission

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, Under 40

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative

The patient remains in remission 30 months after surgery. Immune-related brachial plexopathy after treatment improved after steroids, IVIG, and plasmapheresis, with electrophysiologic resolution and near-complete strength and sensory recovery.

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Stage IIIB triple-negative metaplastic breast cancer: urgent mastectomy and reconstruction after rapid progression on neoadjuvant therapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage III

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative; nuclear grade 3

At 18-month follow-up, she was disease-free after urgent mastectomy, axillary dissection, flap/skin-graft reconstruction, resumed chemotherapy, and radiation for rapidly progressive triple-negative metaplastic breast cancer.

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Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer with sacituzumab-govitecan pneumonitis and progression

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: lung

Sacituzumab-govitecan pneumonitis improved with corticosteroids and half-dose rechallenge did not reproduce pneumonitis, but follow-up CT showed one new pulmonary metastasis and enlargement of previous lung metastases; PFS on sacituzumab govitecan was 5.37 months.

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Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Sonja's Patient Story

Patient Info: Sonja Rideout, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; Tempus testing later indicated immunotherapy as an option

Metastatic Site: Lungs; liver; bone: tailbone; thoracic lymph nodes

As of January 2026, Sonja was living with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer after spread to lungs and liver, later tailbone and thoracic lymph nodes, and had moved to weekly carboplatin/gemcitabine plus monthly immunotherapy.

Stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer complicated by immunotherapy endocrine toxicity

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage III

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PgR-negative/PR-negative; HER2 0; Ki-67 70%; triple-negative breast cancer

After neoadjuvant therapy complicated by immune-related hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, and suspected hypophysitis, surgery showed residual ypT1c ypN0 triple-negative disease. Pembrolizumab was stopped, adjuvant capecitabine was completed in June 2025, and endocrine replacement/follow-up continued.

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Stage I AR-positive triple-negative invasive apocrine breast carcinoma: disease-free after surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s | Stage I

Biomarkers: Triple-negative apocrine breast carcinoma with androgen receptor 90%

At 1-year follow-up, she remained disease-free with no clinical or radiologic evidence of recurrence.

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Triple-negative breast cancer with pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy complicated by immune toxicity

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage III

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative

Left mastectomy on November 17 confirmed pathologic complete response, and 5-month follow-up showed no residual hepatic, dermatological, metabolic, or neurological sequelae from the treatment-related complications.

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Recurrent breast cancer complicated by T-DXd-associated dermatomyositis and interstitial lung disease

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage III

Biomarkers: Initial tumor had weak ER/AR, PR-negative, HER2 0. Recurrence became ER/PR/AR-negative, HER2-low, PD-L1 CPS ~30.

The cancer progressed after adjuvant therapy and again after 6 cycles of gemcitabine/carboplatin. Trastuzumab deruxtecan was followed by dermatomyositis features and interstitial pneumonia, with symptoms worsening despite glucocorticoid treatment after continued exposure.

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HER2-positive breast cancer: brain recurrence, T-DXd liver injury, and later progression

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; hormone receptor-negative; grade 3 infiltrative breast carcinoma

Metastatic Site: brain; thoracic lymph nodes

As of October 2025, the patient had developed brain and thoracic nodal recurrence after HER2-directed treatment, experienced T-DXd-associated liver injury, progressed after later paclitaxel/trastuzumab, and died at home in December 2024 under palliative care.

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Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Paul's Patient Story

Patient Info: Paul Forgette, Male, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; triple-positive breast cancer; CHEK2 mutation

Metastatic Site: Bones; lymph nodes

By October 2025, 9 months after starting Enhertu, Paul’s Stage IV HER2-positive male breast cancer was described as dormant, not cured, with continued City of Hope care and integrative support.

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