Breast Cancer: 1,219 Real Stories

1,219 stories match breast cancer. 974 of them mention surgery.

Cancer Stories

A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IIIA breast cancer history with benign lipid pneumonia mimicking lung malignancy

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

Prior Stage IIIA breast cancer treatment was completed; a later suspicious lung lesion proved to be benign lipid pneumonia rather than recurrence or lung cancer, and she was asymptomatic 1 year after lobectomy with continued surveillance for new right-lung changes.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSurvivorship / Completed Treatment
Gail, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage III Breast Cancer: Gail's Patient Story

Patient Info: Gail, Female, 60s | Stage III

Biomarkers: Luminal A

As of 2024, Gail had Stage III luminal A breast cancer and was awaiting the start of planned treatment with lumpectomy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy.

Our Cancer Stories
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Susana, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage III Breast Cancer: Susana's Patient Story

Patient Info: Susana | Stage III

Treatment is ongoing with docetaxel chemotherapy, with surgery still being planned at the time described.

Our Cancer Stories
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Treatment-Related Telangiectasias

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; initially ER-negative and PR-negative; metastatic disease weakly ER-positive and PR-negative; germline testing negative

Metastatic Site: left supraclavicular, mediastinal, axillary and…

Living with HER2-positive breast cancer for 9+ years since her 2014 diagnosis, including metastatic disease since 2017. She remained on reduced-dose tucatinib in 2023 while treatment-related telangiectasias improved after dose reduction and electrocautery.

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

A Breast Cancer Survivor Later Diagnosed With a Separate Metastatic Cancer Affecting Both Retinas

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

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

Her last breast-cancer follow-up showed no evidence of disease after 5 years of endocrine therapy. She later developed a separate widely metastatic cancer favored to be gastrointestinal or pancreaticobiliary in origin and died after choosing hospice.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
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
Chantal, who was diagnosed with Stage II Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage II Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Chantal's Survivor Story

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

Biomarkers: Triple-negative breast cancer; BRCA1 mutation

As of December 2023, Chantal reported that she did not currently have cancer, was followed by medical oncology every 3-4 months, and used Signatera testing because tumor markers were not reliable for her.

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

HER2-Positive Mucoepidermoid Breast Cancer With 61 Months Without Recurrence

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 50s

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

She was alive without signs of recurrence after 61 months of follow-up, providing just over 5 years of documented follow-up for this second primary breast cancer.

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

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Kris's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kris Hallenga, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

As of December 2023, Kris Hallenga had been living with Stage IV breast cancer for 14 years after diagnosis at age 23, while continuing her CoppaFeel advocacy and public work around living fully with advanced cancer.

So Now I've Got Breast Cancer
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Breast Cancer Recurs After a 19-Year Remission and Responds to Later Chemotherapy

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: PR-positive, ER-negative, HER2-negative. Recurrence: ER-positive, PR-negative

Metastatic Site: bones

The cancer recurred after a 19-year remission and later spread to bone. More than 21 years after the original diagnosis, she had marked tumor shrinkage, was in good general condition, and had 10 months of progression-free survival after utidelone plus capecitabine.

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

Treatment-Refractory Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treated With Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes

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

Biomarkers: Germline BRCA1 pathogenic variant; later triple-negative phenotype

Metastatic Site: skin, lungs, bones

Tumor burden briefly decreased after tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy, but she developed severe treatment complications followed by rapid cancer relapse and died about 1 month after the TIL/IL-2 treatment began.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
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
A patient, who was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Breast Tumor Disappears on Imaging During Treatment for Multiple Myeloma

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 60s

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

The breast lesion showed a complete radiologic response before planned surgery, and there was no evidence of breast-cancer relapse or progression through 2022, about 5 years after diagnosis.

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

Large Malignant Phyllodes Tumor Removed With Mastectomy

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 70+

At 18 months of follow-up, imaging showed no suspicious lung lesions, lymph-node enlargement, or other evidence of recurrence or metastasis.

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

Adenoid Cystic Breast Cancer Spreads to the Kidney, Lungs, Bone and Spleen

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 70+ | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Triple-negative

Metastatic Site: kidneys, lungs, spleen, bone, lymph nodes

The cancer progressed from an initial kidney metastasis to widespread disease involving the lungs, spleen, right kidney, lymph nodes, and C4 vertebra. By May 2022 she had worsening cachexia and pain, and best supportive care was recommended.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

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.

PubMed Central
OutcomeEnd of Life / Hospice
Jessica, who was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Jessica's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jessica, Female

Jessica had completed mastectomy and axillary surgery and had started dose-dense AC chemotherapy. Radiation and 10 years of Tamoxifen were planned as the next treatment steps.

Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Stage III Breast Cancer Linked to Paraneoplastic Neuromyelitis Optica

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative; tumor AQP4 expression

A 51-year-old woman with Stage III hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer developed a rare paraneoplastic neurologic disorder that caused severe vomiting and spinal-cord symptoms.

PubMed Central
OutcomeNot reported