HER2 Positive Breast Cancer: 138 Real Stories

138 stories match breast cancer and HER2 positive. 123 of them mention chemotherapy.

Kathleen, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Kathleen's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kathleen McEvoy-Schufreider, female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: liver, bones

Kathleen continued long-term treatment for metastatic breast cancer, including infusions every 3 weeks after resuming the PATINA regimen outside the trial.

Dana-Farber
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Jennifer, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Jennifer's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Jennifer Masters, Female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: Chest wall/skin near surgery incision; lymph nodes

As of May 2025, Jennifer had no reported recurrence for several years after Stage IV HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer responded completely to clinical-trial treatment with T-DM1 and neratinib; she continued annual Cleveland Clinic visits and remained active with family and volunteering.

Cleveland Clinic
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
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
Christine, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage III HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Christine's Survivor Story

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

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

Three years after diagnosis, Christine described herself in the survivorship stage and focused on the physical and emotional effects that continued after active treatment.

The Patient Story
OutcomeSurvivorship / Surveillance
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage II Breast CancerBreast Cancer

HER2-amplified primary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the breast: surgery and adjuvant treatment

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

Biomarkers: HER2-amplified / HER2 3+; ER/PR-negative; Ki-67 ~50%; p53 high; microsatellite stable. No clinically significant inherited mutation reported.

As of November 2024, she had more than 104 months of disease-free survival after breast-conserving surgery, sentinel lymph node biopsy, EC-T chemotherapy, and radiotherapy for Stage IIA HER2-amplified primary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the breast.

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

Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Anne's Patient Story

Patient Info: Anne Keane, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: bones, liver

Anne had an extraordinary response to first-line treatment for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer and remained on the same HER2-targeted therapy for 6 years.

Dana-Farber
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

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.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression
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 II Breast Squamous Cell CarcinomaBreast Cancer

HER2-positive squamous cell breast cancer in complete remission

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive squamous cell breast cancer, ER/PR negative, PD-L1 negative

Clinical complete remission and survival beyond 4 years after mastectomy, AC-TH chemotherapy, and HER2-directed maintenance therapy for Stage IIA HER2-positive primary squamous cell breast cancer.

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

Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Nina's Survivor Story

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; broad hereditary genetic testing negative

Metastatic Site: spine

As of November 2024, Nina described being in a no-evidence-of-disease phase, while continuing treatment because of her Stage IV HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer history.

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

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 Story
OutcomeSurvivorship / Completed Treatment
Anna, who was diagnosed with Breast CancerBreast Cancer

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 Story
OutcomeTreatment Completed / Survivorship
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

HER2-Positive Breast Cancer That Spread to the Cervix

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; ER and PR less than 1% in the left breast tumor

Metastatic Site: cervix, esophagus, mediastinal lymph nodes

Cervical metastasis showed a local complete response after brachytherapy, but systemic disease later progressed to the esophagus. She died after 4 months of nutritional support and palliative treatment.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory