Employees' own cancer treatment shapes how they give back

Patient Info: Jamie Bernard, female, Under 40 | Stage II

After mastectomy and chemotherapy, Jamie became active in patient and caregiver support programs at MD Anderson.

MD AndersonRead more →

Stage II metaplastic breast cancer in a 47-year-old man

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

Biomarkers: ER 1%; PR negative; HER2 negative; E-cadherin positive; p63 positive; genetic testing reported no abnormal mutations

Two years after surgery he was doing well, with only occasional pain at the mastectomy site and a negative recent mammogram of the left breast.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Breast Cancer: Heather's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Heather Kokinda, Female, Under 40

As of March 2018, Heather had completed chemotherapy and double mastectomy, had a clear scan before trying to conceive again, and had given birth to another daughter in July 2017.

Cleveland ClinicRead more →

Breast Cancer: Catherine's Patient Story

Patient Info: Catherine Goff

Catherine was living a full, happy life at the time of the story after Hodgkin lymphoma, later breast cancer and other health complications.

Dana-FarberRead more →

Breast reconstruction after implant loss in a woman with BMI 50.8

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

At 3-month follow-up, the DIEP flap remained viable with no fat or skin necrosis and a satisfactory aesthetic result.

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Stage III BRCA2 Breast Cancer: Ashley's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Ashley, female, Under 40 | Stage III

Biomarkers: BRCA2 positive; HER2 positive

Ashley described herself as cancer-free after chemotherapy, double mastectomy and 30 rounds of radiation, with 10 months of Herceptin planned.

MD AndersonRead more →

Breast Cancer: Michael's Patient Story

Patient Info: Michael Johnston, male

After completing surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, Michael focused on male breast cancer awareness and on traveling with his wife.

Dana-FarberRead more →

Triple receptor-positive neuroendocrine breast cancer in a 32-year-old woman

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

Biomarkers: ER positive; PR positive; HER2 positive; neuron-specific enolase positive; synaptophysin positive

She was stable on follow-up and was receiving adjuvant chest-wall radiation plus systemic chemotherapy and trastuzumab-based therapy.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer With Long-Term Tumor Regression After Radiation Therapy

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

Biomarkers: HER2 positive

Metastatic Site: 8th thoracic vertebra

Follow-up showed near-complete regression of the breast tumor, resolution of the bone lesion, normal tumor markers, and a 2015 biopsy with no tumor cells. Follow-up showed no further recurrence, and she returned to work with good quality of life.

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Breast Cancer: Tonya's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Tonya, Female

Tonya said she was in remission while continuing radiation therapy and hormone therapy.

Our Cancer StoriesRead more →

Metastatic Breast Cancer With Liver Progression Treated Through Multiple Chemotherapy Lines

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: ER 90%, HER2 3+, Ki67 15%. Liver metastasis: ER 30%

Metastatic Site: pleura, liver

After several periods of response and later liver progression, she remained on active treatment with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Metastatic Lobular Breast Cancer With Long-Term Disease Control Across Multiple Therapies

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: ER negative, HER2 negative, Ki67 17%. 2006 recurrence: ER 40%

Metastatic Site: pleura, liver, skin, bone

She was alive on ongoing metronomic vinorelbine with substantial disease stabilization at the most recent follow-up.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer With Bone and Liver Progression After Multiple Therapies

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: ER 80%, HER2 negative, Ki67 18%. Liver metastasis: ER 75%

Metastatic Site: bone, liver

After massive hepatic progression and liver failure, chemotherapy was stopped and she died on January 31, 2016.

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Bilateral Breast Cancers Followed by Metastatic Disease and Long Eribulin Treatment

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

Biomarkers: Left primary: ER 90%, HER2 FISH not amplified, Ki67 25%. Right primary: ER 90%

Metastatic Site: lung, pleura, liver, bone

After pelvic bone metastases appeared in 2017, she stopped eribulin, received pelvic radiation and remained on fulvestrant treatment.

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Recurrent Breast Cancer With Liver Metastases Treated Through Multiple Chemotherapy Lines

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: ER positive, HER2 0. Liver metastasis: ER 100%

Metastatic Site: liver

After liver progression following 18 cycles of eribulin, she started weekly carboplatin and remained in active treatment.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer With Durable Liver and Peritoneal Response to Eribulin

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: ER 90%, PgR 70%. Liver metastasis: ER 60%, HER2 1+

Metastatic Site: liver, peritoneum

While continuing eribulin beyond 34 cycles, her liver disease was stable and the peritoneal response persisted after earlier major tumor reduction.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer Responding to Eribulin After Repeated Liver Progression

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

Biomarkers: ER 100%, HER2 negative

Metastatic Site: bone, liver

Eribulin remained ongoing with repeated partial responses documented through 12 cycles and no need for dose reduction.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage I Breast Cancer: Yanzi's Patient Story

Patient Info: Yanzi, 40s | Stage I

Years after her Stage I diagnosis, Yanzi had completed the other treatment and remained on hormone medication while coping with fear of recurrence.

Our Cancer StoriesRead more →

HER2-Positive Recurrent Breast Cancer Treated With Multiple Targeted and Local Therapies

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

Biomarkers: 2008 recurrence: ER 80%, HER2 FISH amplified. 2011 recurrence: ER 80%

Metastatic Site: liver, skin

After 25 cycles of eribulin, treatment was still ongoing; nodal disease remained stable, while later imaging also noted new metabolic activity in the upper lung.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Metastatic Breast Cancer With Brain, Bone, Lung and Liver Disease Responding During Eribulin Treatment

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: ER 90%, HER2 negative, Ki67 10%. Lung metastasis: ER 90%

Metastatic Site: lung, bone, brain, liver

Eribulin remained ongoing with reduced brain lesions, stable bone disease and continued shrinkage of liver metastases after prior systemic progression.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage II Breast Cancer: Ana's Survivor Story

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

Ana reported being declared cancer-free in March 2020 and continued hormone therapy afterward, with no recurrence described in the available story.

Our Cancer StoriesRead more →

Stage III Breast Cancer: Jacquelyn's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jacquelyn | Stage III

Jacquelyn said her stage 3 breast cancer was in remission while hormone therapy medication continued after mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation.

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Breast cancer returning 21 years later as a solitary parotid metastasis

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

Biomarkers: Parotid metastasis ER positive; PR positive; HER2 borderline by IHC but FISH 1.82

Metastatic Site: left parotid gland

More than 5 months after the parotid metastasis was diagnosed, the tumour had slightly decreased in size and her metastatic disease remained stable on endocrine therapy.

PubMed CentralRead more →

From Healthcare Advocate to Breast Cancer Patient – And Back

Patient Info: Anonymized, female

Five years after treatment, she was working, advocating for patients, and described herself as thriving after breast cancer.

Dana-FarberRead more →