Targeted Therapy for ER Positive Breast Cancer: 68 Real Stories

68 stories match breast cancer, ER positive and targeted therapy. 56 of them mention surgery.

Cancer Stories

Kelsey, who was diagnosed with Stage II Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage II HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Kelsey's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive

As of May 2025, Kelsey had completed chemotherapy, double mastectomy with reconstruction, and 16 radiation sessions, and was continuing tamoxifen with Verzenio planned for 2 years plus Lupron ovarian-suppression shots.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Samantha, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

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

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

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

Metastatic Site: Rib; spine; pelvis

After a mixed response on the radium trial, Samantha changed to anastrozole and abemaciclib. She described the newer hormone-targeted combination as easier to tolerate and working better while remaining in ongoing treatment.

The Patient Story
OutcomeLiving With Cancer / Ongoing Therapy
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

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 Central
OutcomeResponding Well
Katie, who was diagnosed with Stage III Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

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 Alliance
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Karen, who was diagnosed with Stage II Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

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 Alliance
OutcomeCare Ongoing / Survivorship
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage I Breast CancerBreast Cancer

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

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 Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

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 Central
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV luminal B breast cancer with liver, bone, and bone marrow metastases

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

Biomarkers: ER 90% positive; PR 20% positive; HER2-negative; Ki-67 60%; luminal B

Metastatic Site: liver, bone, bone marrow

The patient had marked clinical and hematologic improvement on leuprorelin, letrozole, ribociclib, and zoledronic acid, with sustained complete remission reported for 4 months from September to December 2023 and monthly follow-up advised.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Metastatic Male Breast Cancer Responding to Abemaciclib and Letrozole

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

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

Metastatic Site: soft tissue, distant lymph nodes, bone

The tumor and metastatic soft-tissue and lymph-node disease shrank markedly, with no progression on July 2024 imaging and good clinical condition in September 2024.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Severe Corneal Injury After Trastuzumab for Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

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

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

Metastatic Site: lungs, spine, left adrenal gland, calvarium, orbit,…

She was living with widespread metastatic breast cancer when trastuzumab was stopped because of severe eye toxicity.

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

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 Story
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

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.

PubMed Central
OutcomeNot reported
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

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

HER2-positive breast cancer: surgery after neoadjuvant therapy

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

Biomarkers: ER 1% weakly positive; PR-negative; HER2-positive

No evidence of disease on follow-up while taking anastrozole after pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant T-DM1, lumpectomy/SLNB, radiotherapy, and adjuvant trastuzumab for Stage I HER2-positive breast cancer.

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

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.

YouTube — Dr Liz O'Riordan
OutcomeSetback / Progression
Allison, who was diagnosed with Stage II Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

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

Patient Info: Allison Tierney, Female | Stage II

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-positive; CHEK2 mutation; BRCA1/2 negative

As of March 2024, Allison had completed Taxol and Herceptin treatment, was on tamoxifen planned for 10 years, and had moved to 6-month oncology follow-up. No metastatic disease or recurrence was reported.

YouTube — The Patient Story
OutcomeCare Ongoing
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
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