Mastectomy for ER Positive Breast Cancer: 141 Real Stories

Stage I HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Mandy's Patient Story

Patient Info: Mandy, Female, 40s | Stage I

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; low Oncotype score; genetic testing negative for 70 cancer-causing genes

As of April 2025, Mandy was about 10 months after bilateral mastectomy for Stage IA ER-positive, PR-positive ILC, had a low Oncotype score, was planning several years of tamoxifen, and was still in reconstruction.

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Breast cancer linked to a rare kidney condition believed to be cancer-related

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2 score 1+; Ki-67 5-10%

At the latest follow-up, she had no local or distant breast-cancer recurrence and maintained excellent performance status.

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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.

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Ductal Carcinoma In Situ With Persistent Vaccine-Related Lymph Node Swelling

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-positive

Recovered uneventfully after mastectomy, with no additional cancer treatment given.

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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.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer Returning About 20 Years After Initial Treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: bones

About 20 years after her original breast-cancer treatment and sustained remission, bone biopsy confirmed metastatic recurrence; she became too unwell for planned cancer therapy and chose supportive care.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Stage IIIA encapsulated papillary breast carcinoma with invasion: mastectomy, axillary dissection, and anastrozole

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

Biomarkers: ER 100%; PgR 80%; HER2 2+ by IHC with FISH negative; Ki-67 20%; initial biopsy HER2 1+

She received postoperative anastrozole alone after right mastectomy and axillary dissection; no apparent recurrence was observed 18 months after surgery.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Breast Cancer and a Separate Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma in a 35-Year-Old Woman

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, Under 40

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2/CerbB-2 positive

Breast-cancer care continued with postoperative endocrine maintenance while a separate primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma required additional treatment.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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ER-positive breast cancer: mastectomy after hormone therapy

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

Biomarkers: Breast cancer was ER+ and HER2-low/negative. PR changed from positive on biopsy to negative on final pathology; HNA-1 antibody found for neutropenia.

Stage IIA ER-positive invasive ductal breast cancer had no recurrence 3 years after endocrine therapy and total mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy; autoimmune neutropenia was monitored rather than directly treated.

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Right-Sided Ductal Carcinoma in Situ Before a Second Breast Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 60s

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2 1+

A woman treated for right-sided ductal carcinoma in situ in 2018 later developed a separate invasive cancer in the opposite breast.

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Stage 3 infiltrating ductal carcinoma treated with radical mastectomy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 50s | Stage III

Biomarkers: Breast cancer was ER/PR positive, HER2 negative

The patient recovered fully after right radical mastectomy and complete axillary dissection for Stage III male breast infiltrating ductal carcinoma; adjuvant therapy and recurrence follow-up were not reported in the extracted case text.

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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.

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HR-Positive Breast Cancer: LaShae's Patient Story

Patient Info: LaShae, Female, Under 40

Biomarkers: ER-positive; MammaPrint high-risk recurrence; 70-gene hereditary cancer panel negative

As of June 2024, LaShae had completed mastectomy and was undergoing TC chemotherapy, with radiation and long-term hormonal therapy planned; no remission or NED status was stated.

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

Patient Info: Liz O'Riordan, Female, 40s | Stage III

Biomarkers: ER-positive; HER2-negative; PIK3CA mutation reported by patient

As of June 2024, Liz described Stage III ER-positive/HER2-negative mixed ductal and lobular breast cancer followed by 2 locoregional recurrences after mastectomy; no distant metastatic disease was described for her personal story.

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