BRCA2-mutant metastatic breast cancer: complete response with rucaparib maintenance

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

Biomarkers: Germline BRCA2 mutation; somatic BRCA2 mutation; HER2 amplification not seen by FISH; grade III IDC

Metastatic Site: bone

She maintained a complete response for 2 years on rucaparib, letrozole, and zoledronic acid after upfront metastatic BRCA2-mutated breast cancer involving bone, axillary nodes, and right-breast nodules.

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Stage 2 triple-negative breast cancer: pathologic complete response to chemotherapy

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

Biomarkers: Triple-negative breast cancer, with pathogenic PALB2 c.1451T>A variant found in blood/buccal/tumor testing.

As of May 2024, more than 1 year after surgery, she was well and free of cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, mastectomy, reconstruction, and preventive adnexectomy.

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Triple-negative breast cancer and ovarian cancer treated with chemotherapy and PARP inhibitor

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

Biomarkers: Germline pathogenic BRCA2 c.6468_6469del; breast tumor triple-negative

As of April 2024, 6-week follow-up after breast and nodal radiation was unremarkable, erythema had resolved, and no breast, chest wall, respiratory, or axillary abnormality was found; longer-term control was not reported.

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Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Treatment-Related Telangiectasias

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; initially ER-negative and PR-negative; metastatic disease weakly ER-positive and PR-negative; germline testing negative

Metastatic Site: left supraclavicular, mediastinal, axillary and…

Living with HER2-positive breast cancer for 9+ years since her 2014 diagnosis, including metastatic disease since 2017. She remained on reduced-dose tucatinib in 2023 while treatment-related telangiectasias improved after dose reduction and electrocautery.

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HER2-positive Stage IIB breast cancer complicated by acute neuro-Behcet disease during neoadjuvant treatment

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PgR/PR-positive; HER2-positive by FISH amplification; Ki-67 index 50%

As of June 2024, there was no recurrence of breast cancer or neuro-Behcet disease 2 years after surgery and postoperative HER2-directed plus endocrine therapy.

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

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

Biomarkers: Triple-negative breast cancer; BRCA1 mutation

As of December 2023, Chantal reported that she did not currently have cancer, was followed by medical oncology every 3-4 months, and used Signatera testing because tumor markers were not reliable for her.

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Stage III Male Breast Cancer Responds to Chemotherapy, Surgery and Radiation

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 70+ | Stage III

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative

Follow-up CT scans 4 months and 9 months after surgery showed no suspicious metastatic lesions or tumor recurrence.

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Treatment-Refractory Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treated With Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Germline BRCA1 pathogenic variant; later triple-negative phenotype

Metastatic Site: skin, lungs, bones

Tumor burden briefly decreased after tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy, but she developed severe treatment complications followed by rapid cancer relapse and died about 1 month after the TIL/IL-2 treatment began.

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Kelly's Stage 3 Breast Cancer Story: “I’m Still Here & THRIVING!"

Patient Info: Kelly Thomas, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

Biomarkers: Initial triple-negative breast cancer; after surgery

As of August 2023, Kelly was 5 years from her Stage IIIC triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis with no recurrence reported.

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HER2-Positive Acantholytic Squamous Breast Cancer Responds Completely to Preoperative Therapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, female

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; postoperative residual in-situ disease ER-positive and PR-positive

The invasive cancer achieved a pathologic complete response, and she had no recurrence or metastasis during 1.5 years of follow-up.

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Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Lucy's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Lucy E., Female, Under 40

Biomarkers: BRCA1 mutation; triple-negative breast cancer

As of January 2023, Lucy had been told she was all-clear/cancer-free after chemotherapy, had undergone double mastectomy with staged reconstruction planning, and was continuing close oncology reviews every 3-4 months.

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Stage II HER2-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Lanie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lanie Jones, Female, Under 40 | Stage II

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; Li-Fraumeni syndrome / TP53 mutation; BRCA-negative

As of January 2023, Lanie was living with Li-Fraumeni syndrome after 5 cancer diagnoses and was on lifelong maintenance chemotherapy while advocating for genetic testing and specialized surveillance.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatment Caused Severe Circulation Problems in Her Fingers and Toes

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

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

The digital ischaemia improved after gemcitabine was stopped, without revascularisation, debridement or amputation, although a small necrotic fingertip area persisted at 3 months. Metastatic breast cancer treatment continued with further systemic lines after progression.

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Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Recurring in Groin Lymph Nodes

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: right inguinal lymph node; right iliac/pelvic lymph…

Her condition deteriorated after 3 cycles of palliative capecitabine. She developed vomiting, headache and seizures concerning for brain metastases and died about 4 months after the groin metastasis was detected.

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Stage III Breast Cancer: Diana's Survivor Story

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

Diana described herself as being in remission while continuing low-toxicity antineoplastic monotherapy. She remained in active follow-up and focused on rebuilding daily life.

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Recovery from severe bowel and oesophageal complications after breast cancer chemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: HER2-positive.

She regained independence after an 89-day hospital course, but breast surgery remained deferred three months after intensive-care discharge and tamoxifen was being used during recovery.

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A durable response to trastuzumab in heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor ER-positive and PR-positive. Metastatic liver biopsy ER-negative and PR-negative with HER2 IHC 1+ and nonamplified. Later biopsy ER and PR weakly positive at 5%–10%, HER2 IHC 1+ and nonamplified, and ERBB3 p. with evidence of HER2/HER3 pathway activation.

Metastatic Site: lungs; hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes; liver; bone

She had ongoing benefit for more than 10 months on trastuzumab and capecitabine, with improved symptoms, lower tumor markers, and a confirmed partial response.

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Stage III Breast Cancer: Alexandra's Patient Story

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

As of 2021, Alexandra was living with Stage III breast cancer and continuing chemotherapy after treatment with docetaxel, carboplatin, antibody drug conjugates, and tamoxifen.

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Recurrent Breast Cancer With a Benign-Appearing Chest-Wall Rash

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: ER-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative.

Metastatic Site: mediastinal lymph nodes

She had recurrent chest-wall and mediastinal metastatic disease; a later rash biopsy showed dermatitis rather than another skin recurrence.

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Bilateral Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Followed by Blood Clots and a Spinal-Fluid Leak

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: Triple-negative

Two years after chemotherapy, a recurrent cerebrospinal-fluid leak was repaired endoscopically and had not recurred at 12 months.

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Fatal Bowel Infection After the First Chemotherapy Cycle for Early HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

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

Nine days after the first TCH cycle, she developed fulminant febrile neutropenia and Clostridium septicum sepsis with extensive bowel ischaemia; despite emergency treatment and resuscitation, she died 4 hours after hospital arrival.

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Early metaplastic breast cancer treated alongside a separate lung cancer

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

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

At 24 months, breast MRI showed no recurrent breast cancer after surgery and six cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin.

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Triple-negative breast cancer developing beside a large breast cyst

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

Biomarkers: ER negative; PR negative; HER2 negative; Ki-67 >50%; p53 negative for overexpression, triple negative

She recovered after treatment with no clinical evidence of regional or distant recurrence.

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Dramatic chemotherapy response in stage IIIB triple-negative breast cancer

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

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative; BRCA1-negative; BRCA2-negative; germline FLCN c.1285delC associated with Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome; tumor TP53 p.T150fs.

Eighteen months after surgery, she had no recurrence following a dramatic chemotherapy response, bilateral mastectomy, chest-wall radiation, and adjuvant capecitabine.

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