Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: 738 Real Stories

738 stories match breast cancer and chemotherapy. 653 of them mention surgery.

Cancer Stories

A patient, who was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Male Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer With a Pathogenic PALB2 Variant

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 40s

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2 not amplified; pathogenic PALB2 variant

He was disease-free at 1-year follow-up after mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Sally, who was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Sally's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Sally Johnston, 70+

Biomarkers: Estrogen receptor-positive

Sally was in remission by the end of 2014 and remained active about 10 years after treatment.

Dana-Farber
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Paula, who was diagnosed with Stage II Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage II Breast Cancer: Paula's Patient Story

Patient Info: Paula | Stage II

Paula was receiving chemotherapy and hormonal therapy for stage 2 breast cancer, with additional treatments included in the recommended plan.

Our Cancer Stories
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IIIA breast cancer history with benign lipid pneumonia mimicking lung malignancy

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

Prior Stage IIIA breast cancer treatment was completed; a later suspicious lung lesion proved to be benign lipid pneumonia rather than recurrence or lung cancer, and she was asymptomatic 1 year after lobectomy with continued surveillance for new right-lung changes.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSurvivorship / Completed Treatment
Gail, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage III Breast Cancer: Gail's Patient Story

Patient Info: Gail, Female, 60s | Stage III

Biomarkers: Luminal A

As of 2024, Gail had Stage III luminal A breast cancer and was awaiting the start of planned treatment with lumpectomy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy.

Our Cancer Stories
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Metastatic invasive lobular breast carcinoma to pancreas: biliary stent and paclitaxel

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

Biomarkers: Primary breast tumor was triple-negative. Pancreatic metastasis was ER-positive/GATA-positive

Metastatic Site: pancreas; coelio-mesenteric lymph nodes

After 21 years of remission, she developed pancreatic and coelio-mesenteric nodal metastases from invasive lobular breast carcinoma; palliative paclitaxel was stopped after 2 courses because her condition deteriorated, and she was lost to follow-up.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression
Susana, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage III Breast Cancer: Susana's Patient Story

Patient Info: Susana | Stage III

Treatment is ongoing with docetaxel chemotherapy, with surgery still being planned at the time described.

Our Cancer Stories
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

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.

PubMed Central
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

BRCA2-Positive Breast Cancer in a Woman With Down Syndrome

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-negative, HER2-negative, germline BRCA2 pathogenic variant

Metastatic Site: lungs, bones

The cancer later progressed with lung and bone metastases and extensive cancer spread through lymphatic vessels in both lungs. She died 59 months after breast surgery.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
Chantal, who was diagnosed with Stage II Breast CancerBreast Cancer

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.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Breast CancerBreast Cancer

HER2-Positive Mucoepidermoid Breast Cancer With 61 Months Without Recurrence

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 50s

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

She was alive without signs of recurrence after 61 months of follow-up, providing just over 5 years of documented follow-up for this second primary breast cancer.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage I Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Five Years Without Breast Cancer Recurrence Despite a Markedly Elevated CA 15-3

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 70+ | Stage I

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

Five years after her Stage I breast-cancer diagnosis, breast imaging and systemic evaluation showed no evidence of recurrence. The markedly elevated CA 15-3 was traced to a separate renal tumor and normalized after nephrectomy.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Male Breast Cancer Controlled for Years Through Multiple Lines of Targeted and Endocrine Therapy

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-positive; later ER-positive, PR-negative, HER2-negative; PIK3CA mutation; germline BRCA1/2 negative

Metastatic Site: bones, pleura, liver

After a 5-year and 6-month disease-free interval, the cancer recurred in bone and later progressed to the pleura and liver. He died in January 2021, more than 13 years after his 2007 breast-cancer diagnosis.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

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.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Breast Cancer Recurs After a 19-Year Remission and Responds to Later Chemotherapy

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: PR-positive, ER-negative, HER2-negative. Recurrence: ER-positive, PR-negative

Metastatic Site: bones

The cancer recurred after a 19-year remission and later spread to bone. More than 21 years after the original diagnosis, she had marked tumor shrinkage, was in good general condition, and had 10 months of progression-free survival after utidelone plus capecitabine.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Adenoid Cystic Breast Cancer Spreads to the Kidney, Lungs, Bone and Spleen

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

Biomarkers: Triple-negative

Metastatic Site: kidneys, lungs, spleen, bone, lymph nodes

The cancer progressed from an initial kidney metastasis to widespread disease involving the lungs, spleen, right kidney, lymph nodes, and C4 vertebra. By May 2022 she had worsening cachexia and pain, and best supportive care was recommended.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression
Jessica, who was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Jessica's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jessica, Female

Jessica had completed mastectomy and axillary surgery and had started dose-dense AC chemotherapy. Radiation and 10 years of Tamoxifen were planned as the next treatment steps.

Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Sherri, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Sherri's Patient Story

Patient Info: Sherri, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: BRCA1-negative

Metastatic Site: Bone marrow

As of November 2023, Sherri had no evidence of disease on recent breast cancer scans but remained on targeted treatment every 3 weeks and had started oxaliplatin after surgery for a separate Stage III colon cancer.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCare Ongoing