HER2-positive Stage IIB breast cancer complicated by acute neuro-Behcet disease during neoadjuvant treatment

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PgR/PR-positive; HER2-positive by FISH amplification; Ki-67 index 50%

As of June 2024, there was no recurrence of breast cancer or neuro-Behcet disease 2 years after surgery and postoperative HER2-directed plus endocrine therapy.

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Male breast cancer in both breasts linked to Klinefelter syndrome, initially missed

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: spine / bone

With advanced metastatic disease and an estimated prognosis of weeks or less, care focused on symptom relief under the palliative-care team.

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Metastatic breast cancer: three years in remission with T-DM1 (Kadcyla) treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; hormone receptor-positive

Metastatic Site: liver; spine / bone

T-DM1 produced a complete clinical and radiological response after 7 cycles, sustained for 41 months and 60 cycles while treatment continued.

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Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Brenda's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Brenda, Female, 40s

Brenda completed mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and an oophorectomy. She remained on anastrozole and a CDK4/6 inhibitor when she shared her story.

Lobular Breast Cancer AllianceRead more →

Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Leigh's Patient Story

Patient Info: Leigh, Female

Leigh died in June 2022 from complications of ovarian cancer. Her lobular breast cancer experience led her to co-found the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance and build a lasting patient-advocacy legacy.

Lobular Breast Cancer AllianceRead more →

Breast tumor with extensive tissue death (infarction)

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female

Biomarkers: Oestrogen receptor-positive; HER2 equivocal; confirmatory HER2 FISH was not performed

After 1.5 years of endocrine therapy, there was no clinical evidence of residual tumour.

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Kelly's Stage 3 Breast Cancer Story: “I’m Still Here & THRIVING!"

Patient Info: Kelly Thomas, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

Biomarkers: Initial triple-negative breast cancer; after surgery

As of August 2023, Kelly was 5 years from her Stage IIIC triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis with no recurrence reported.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Susan's Patient Story

Patient Info: Susan, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: BRCA negative; earlier breast cancer described as triple-negative; later breast cancer estrogen-positive and progesterone-positive; HER2 not reported

As of August 2023, Susan was living after multiple breast cancer diagnoses, including a later estrogen-positive/progesterone-positive non-metastatic breast cancer treated with bilateral mastectomy and ongoing 5-year estrogen-blocker therapy.

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

Patient Info: Megan Claire Chase, Female | Stage II

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2 not reported

As of July 2023, Megan-Claire was in survivorship after Stage II invasive lobular breast cancer, with clear early scans but significant long-term effects, surgical menopause, chronic pain, fatigue, chemo brain, and inability to tolerate recurrence-prevention medications.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Stephanie's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Stephanie, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: Oncotype DX score 7

As of July 2023, Stephanie was in ongoing survivorship after unilateral mastectomy for ILC, with no lymph node spread, no chemotherapy or radiation, and a planned 10-year tamoxifen course begun in January 2019.

Lobular Breast Cancer AllianceRead more →

Stage III Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Nikki's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: Hormone-positive

As of July 2023, Nikki had completed 7 chemotherapy rounds for Stage III inflammatory hormone-positive breast cancer, had no sign of distant spread on PET scans, and was preparing for single mastectomy, radiation, and long-term hormone therapy.

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Stage III HER2-Positive Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Nikki's Patient Story

Patient Info: Nikki, Female | Stage III

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; hormone receptor-positive

After 7 chemotherapy rounds, imaging showed no visible disease, but the team expected possible microscopic cancer. A single mastectomy, radiation and long-term hormone therapy were still planned, so she was not classified as cancer-free.

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Reconstructive surgery technique fixes tissue death after mastectomy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female

Biomarkers: Hormone receptor-positive in both breast cancers

The reconstructive wound was completely healed at 2 months, and she continued tamoxifen with ongoing follow-up.

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Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Lucinda's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lucinda Rudolph, Female, 60s

As of June 2023, Lucinda was living well after treatment for locally advanced recurrent invasive lobular breast cancer, taking exemestane, receiving supportive care for neuropathy, and returning to MD Anderson every 6 months for checkups.

MD AndersonRead more →

Metastatic breast cancer with a blood condition that mimicked multiple myeloma

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Oestrogen receptor-positive

Metastatic Site: bone

Her pain came under control and the metastatic breast cancer remained stable for approximately 5 years. MGUS did not progress to myeloma, and she later died from causes unrelated to cancer.

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Stage III Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Neda's Survivor Story

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

Neda had completed surgery, 24 CMF treatments and 25 radiation treatments. She was regaining energy, had started endocrine therapy and was preparing to add another recurrence-reduction medicine.

Lobular Breast Cancer AllianceRead more →

Stage III Breast Cancer: Sarah's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: Estrogen/progesterone-sensitive breast cancer mentioned; exact receptor labels not reported

As of June 2023, Sarah had lived through incurable salivary gland cancer and Stage III breast cancer, completed major breast cancer treatment, paused hormone therapy to pursue IVF under medical guidance, delivered her daughter at 48, and was advocating for people with cancer; no cancer-free or NED status was stated.

The Patient StoryRead more →

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

Patient Info: Sarah McDonald, Female, 40s | Stage III

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

Sarah was 10 years from diagnosis without a recurrence and described the breast cancer as successfully treated. She later paused hormone therapy, completed IVF and gave birth at age 48.

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Stage IV HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Abigail's Patient Story

Patient Info: Abigail Myers, female, Under 40 | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: bones, brain

Abigail continued living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer after about 8 years of multiple treatment lines, including therapy for bone and brain metastases.

Dana-FarberRead more →

Chemotherapy complication: methotrexate absorbed into the bloodstream after spinal injection

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative; Oncotype DX Recurrence Score 20

Metastatic Site: leptomeninges / central nervous system; brain

Five months after leptomeningeal carcinomatosis was recognised, she developed a new 2 cm brain lesion and neurological decline. Her family chose supportive care, and she died 10 days after transfer to inpatient hospice.

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Breast cancer that spread to the thymus gland

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Oestrogen receptor-positive; progesterone receptor-positive; HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: thymus

She had a good response after 4 cycles of abemaciclib, anastrozole and goserelin and continued endocrine treatment with surveillance of the opposite breast.

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Stage IIB Breast Cancer Treatment Followed by BRCA1 Testing

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage II

Biomarkers: BRCA1 pathogenic variant

She completed 10 years of endocrine therapy without evidence of breast-cancer recurrence.

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HER2-positive breast cancer on hemodialysis: partial response to T-DM1 then no metabolically active disease

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

Biomarkers: Hormone receptor-positive; HER2/neu-positive; E-cadherin-positive; Ki-67 55-60%; luminal B type

As of March 2023, after 12 total cycles of T-DM1 and modified radical mastectomy, PET-CT showed no metabolically active disease, and she continued endocrine therapy and dialysis.

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Stage II Breast Cancer: Renée's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: Not genetically inherited; breast cancer linked by her team to prior doxorubicin exposure and total-body radiation

As of February 2023, Renée described stable health, working treatments, good bloodwork, and ongoing long-term hormone/anti-cancer therapy; she did not consider herself cancer-free and preferred survivor/thriver language.

The Patient StoryRead more →