Chemotherapy for ER Positive Breast Cancer: 143 Real Stories

Stage II HR-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: LaShae's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; comprehensive genetic panel negative

As of May 2025, LaShae had completed mastectomy for Stage IIB ER-positive breast cancer with 2 positive lymph nodes and was undergoing chemotherapy, with radiation and 5-10 years of hormone therapy planned.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Stage IIA ER-positive breast cancer with axillary tuberculosis: no metabolically active disease after treatment

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

Biomarkers: ER 78% positive; PR-negative; HER2/neu-negative; Ki-67 21%; Luminal A subtype

As of April 2025, follow-up PET-CT showed no metabolically active disease after mastectomy, adjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy, letrozole, and 6 months of anti-tuberculosis therapy.

PubMed CentralRead more →

HER2-positive breast cancer with brain metastases: responding well to T-DXd

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-positive / HER2 IHC 3+

Metastatic Site: brain (left cerebellum, left frontal lobe, medulla)

After 14 months and 19 doses of T-DXd, brain metastases remained controlled with no symptomatic or radiological relapse and no severe T-DXd-related adverse events.

PubMed CentralRead more →

HER2-Positive Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer Treated After Chemotherapy-Related Hemorrhagic Cystitis

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

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

Under surveillance for 2 years with no signs of malignancy.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage III HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Katie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Katie, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

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

As of February 2025, Katie was a few months beyond active treatment for Stage III ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative ILC and was adjusting to maintenance therapy with Verzenio, Lupron, and Letrozole.

Lobular Breast Cancer AllianceRead more →

Stage II HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Karen's Survivor Story

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative; grade 2; inherited genetic testing negative

Karen completed double mastectomy, 3 months of chemotherapy and reconstruction. She was doing well on ongoing endocrine and targeted therapy and walking 3–5 miles daily.

Lobular Breast Cancer AllianceRead more →

Stage I ER-positive/HER2-positive breast cancer with radiation-associated morphea

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

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

No evidence of breast cancer recurrence after 2018 treatment; ongoing issue was generalized morphea and breast deformity related to prior radiation, improved with mycophenolate by April 2024.

PubMed CentralRead more →

HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Metastatic Progression and Drug-Induced Lupus During T-DM1

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

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

Metastatic Site: bones, axillary lymph nodes, intra-abdominal lymph…

More than 5 years after her March 2018 diagnosis, she was living with metastatic breast cancer, but T-DM1 had been stopped after disease progression in 2023.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Paclitaxel-Related Macular Edema During Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive, HER2-negative

Cancer treatment continued with eribulin after paclitaxel was stopped because of vision toxicity in early 2021.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage III Breast Cancer Complicated by a Large Liver Abscess

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive, HER2-negative

Continuing adjuvant anastrozole and oncology follow-up after mastectomy for Stage III breast cancer.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV luminal A breast cancer: liver resection and disease-free follow-up

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

Biomarkers: luminal A; ER-positive; PgR-positive; HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: lung, liver

Disease-free after R0 hepatic segmentectomy for breast cancer liver metastasis, with May 2021 MRI showing no remaining liver nodules while she continued maintenance letrozole and goserelin.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage 4 HR-positive breast cancer: stable disease on ribociclib

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

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

Metastatic Site: left iliac bone

Metastatic HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer remained without progression as of October 2024 while she continued ribociclib 400 mg plus letrozole after SBRT to a left iliac bone metastasis.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Hormone receptor-positive breast cancer metastatic to the pituitary: surgery and disease-free follow-up

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

Biomarkers: ER 2+; PR 1+; HER2 0; GATA3 positive; CA125 elevated

Metastatic Site: pituitary

Disease-free 11 months after surgical resection of pituitary metastasis from prior hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, with postoperative recovery supported by antibiotics, hormone replacement/supportive therapy, and electrolyte management.

PubMed CentralRead more →

HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Anna's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Anna, Female, Under 40

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

As of October 2024, Anna was about 7 years from diagnosis and described long-term survivorship after surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, biologic treatment, and tamoxifen-related mental-health effects.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Anna’s Triple-Positive Breast Cancer Story

Patient Info: Anna, Female, Under 40

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

Anna completed surgery, chemotherapy and radiation and continued to navigate the effects of hormone therapy, early menopause and fertility loss.

The Patient StoryRead more →

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

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive

Metastatic Site: Bones

As of October 2024, Dee was living with Stage IV metastatic ER-positive breast cancer after bone metastases were found in 2023 and had adapted to treatment with ribociclib.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Stage II HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Fever and a Reversible Brain MRI Lesion After Radiotherapy

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

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

After radiotherapy, fever, neutropenia, headache, and a reversible splenial brain lesion resolved with supportive and antibiotic treatment during her postoperative breast-cancer treatment course.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Hormone receptor-positive invasive lobular carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative; Ki-67 20%

Three-month follow-up showed the biopsy-related pseudoaneurysm had thrombosed and regressed, clearing the way for planned neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery; cancer response after planned treatment was not yet available.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage 1 invasive ductal breast cancer: nipple-preserving mastectomy with reconstruction

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative; Ki-67 28%

No signs of recurrence 20 months after nipple-preserving mastectomy, sentinel node biopsy, immediate reconstruction, adjuvant chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy for ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative invasive ductal breast cancer.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage 4 breast cancer: ongoing treatment with multi-line chemotherapy

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: hormone receptor-negative; HER2 2+. 2011 recurrence: ER 10%; PR 70%; HER2 2+.

Metastatic Site: pleura/pleural effusion; lung

Metastatic breast cancer with malignant pleural effusion achieved complete response after chemotherapy and long-term endocrine therapy; PET-CT in October 2023 still showed complete response, with ongoing cardiac and bone-health management.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Triple-positive breast cancer: complete response to targeted therapy

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

Biomarkers: Triple-positive breast cancer; SBDS variants present; no detected TP53 variant on MyeloSeq.

Metastatic Site: liver

Stage IV triple-positive breast cancer with liver metastasis achieved complete response after paclitaxel, trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and G-CSF support; complete response was maintained for 18 months after treatment initiation while on maintenance HER2-directed and endocrine therapy.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage 4 luminal A breast cancer: tumor regression on hormone therapy

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

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

Metastatic Site: skin, soft tissue, lungs

Metastatic Luminal A breast cancer involving skin/soft tissue and lungs showed regressing tumors and stable lung metastasis after 3 months of anti-hormone therapy plus capecitabine; longer-term control was not reported.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Finding A Lump To BREAST CANCER!

Patient Info: Kelsey Harrison, Female, Under 40 | Stage II

Biomarkers: ER-positive

As of July 2024, Kelsey had completed chemotherapy, double mastectomy with axillary lymph-node removal, and radiation, and was continuing tamoxifen plus Lupron ovarian suppression with additional planned systemic therapy.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Stage II Breast Cancer Treatment Complicated by Scleroderma-Like Skin Changes

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

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

Her cancer remained stable during combination treatment. After morphea-like skin changes developed during therapy, treatment was modified and the skin condition improved 6 months after docetaxel was stopped.

PubMed CentralRead more →