Stage 4 ER Positive Breast Cancer: 87 Real Stories

Stage IV HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Ann's Patient Story

Patient Info: Ann, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive; HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: peritoneum; intestines/bowel

Ann was living with metastatic invasive lobular breast cancer involving the peritoneum and bowel. After 9 months of recurrence treatment, she underwent successful ileostomy reversal and regained greater freedom to travel.

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Stage IV HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Amy's Patient Story

Patient Info: Amy, Female, 40s | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: bones

Amy learned within weeks of bilateral mastectomy that invasive lobular breast cancer had involved lymph nodes and spread to her bones, changing her diagnosis from Stage I to Stage IV.

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Stage IV HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Nikoo's Patient Story

Patient Info: Nikoo, Female | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: Peritoneum | Ascites | Possible bone

Nikoo’s early lobular breast cancer treated in 2003 with lumpectomy, radiation, and 5 years of tamoxifen recurred 19 years later as ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative metastatic lobular breast cancer involving the peritoneum, ascites, and possible bone.

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Stage IV HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Jeri's Patient Story

Patient Info: Jeri, Female, 60s | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: Lymph node | Ovaries | Fallopian tubes | Uterus | Bone

Jeri was diagnosed with de novo Stage IV ER-positive, PR-negative, HER2-negative ILC involving lymph node, gynecologic organs, and bone; after progression on 2 estrogen-therapy-based combinations, a different drug stabilized the disease 10 months after diagnosis.

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Stage IV HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Leanne's Patient Story

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

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

Metastatic Site: Brain

Leanne was first diagnosed in 2015 with Stage III triple-positive ILC and then diagnosed with metastatic lobular breast cancer with brain metastasis on April 4, 2018, causing major neurologic and work limitations.

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

Patient Info: Robbie, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Estrogen receptor-positive / ER-positive

Metastatic Site: Bone; liver

Living with metastatic breast cancer involving bone and liver after earlier DCIS and Stage II ER-positive breast cancer; ongoing treatment at Mass General focused on stabilization and long-term disease management.

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Stage IV HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Alison's Survivor Story

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

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

Metastatic Site: Cervical/neck lymph nodes

Alison reported complete remission since August 2017 while continuing intermittent maintenance chemotherapy, most recently 1 month of treatment followed by 2 months off.

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

Patient Info: Shari S., Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-positive and HER2-positive; no inherited cancer mutation was identified

Metastatic Site: Brain; other initial metastatic sites were not named

Systemic imaging after chemotherapy showed no active disease, but brain metastases later required stereotactic radiation. Shari remained stage 4, continued Herceptin every 3 weeks and underwent brain MRI every 3–4 months.

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Stable Stage IV breast cancer after a serious side effect from abemaciclib

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: bone marrow

About 2 years after starting treatment, she remained on reduced-dose abemaciclib without disease progression.

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Amy’s Stage 4 Hormone-Positive Lobular Breast Cancer Story

Patient Info: Amy, Female | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: Spine; pelvis

Amy was living with de novo stage 4 lobular breast cancer involving the spine and pelvis and remained active in rural-patient advocacy.

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Metastatic invasive lobular breast cancer with stomach, ovarian, peritoneal, rectal, and jejunal spread

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

Biomarkers: Primary tumor and gastric metastasis were ER/PR positive and HER2 negative; GATA3 supported breast origin in the metastasis.

Metastatic Site: stomach; ovaries; peritoneum; rectum; jejunum

During 2025, she remained under active oncologic management for metastatic invasive lobular breast cancer with gastrointestinal, ovarian, peritoneal, rectal, and jejunal involvement.

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ER-positive/HER2-positive breast cancer with rare paranasal sinus and skull metastasis

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

Biomarkers: Primary and paranasal sinus metastasis were ER positive, PR negative, HER2 positive; GATA3 supported breast origin in metastasis.

Metastatic Site: left frontal sinus; ethmoid air cells; posterior…

The paranasal sinus/skull metastasis did not respond to palliative radiotherapy; her condition deteriorated and she died 2 years after her initial presentation to the treating facility.

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Invasive lobular breast cancer with colonic metastases treated with colectomy and capecitabine

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

Biomarkers: Breast and colon metastatic samples were ER+ and HER2-; PR varied by sample

Metastatic Site: colon; perivisceral lymph nodes

After laparoscopic left colectomy and capecitabine for colonic metastases, follow-up showed no clinical or radiological evidence of recurrence or progression at 8 months postoperatively.

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Breast Cancer Discovered After Widespread Bone Metastases

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

Biomarkers: ER 90–95%; PR 90–95%; HER2 IHC 0; Ki-67 5%; germline BRCA1/2 negative

Metastatic Site: bone, bone marrow

She was receiving ongoing letrozole and ribociclib for Stage IV hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer with diffuse bone involvement.

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Stage 2 breast cancer: lump discovered at 61, successful treatment

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

Biomarkers: Breast neuroendocrine tumor was ER/PR strongly positive, HER2 1+

Metastatic Site: lung, mediastinal lymph nodes, bone (ribs, spine,…

After Stage IIA primary breast neuroendocrine tumor treated with lumpectomy, sentinel lymph-node biopsy, radiation, and short-duration anastrozole, the patient developed metastatic recurrence about 2 years later, declined additional therapy, entered hospice, and died 1 month later.

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Stage IV ER/PR-positive breast cancer with retinal vein and artery occlusion during endocrine-targeted therapy

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

Biomarkers: ER 70%; PR 100%; HER2-negative; Ki-67 10%

Metastatic Site: bone (cranial vault, right first rib, sternum, D5, D6,…

As of November 2025, she continued care for Stage IV ER/PR-positive breast cancer with bone metastases while also managing severe left-eye retinal vascular occlusion and limited visual recovery.

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HER2-positive Stage IV breast cancer: T-DM1 extravasation wound healed after multidisciplinary care

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

Biomarkers: ER 90% positive; PR 70% positive; HER2 IHC 3+

Metastatic Site: pelvis

As of October 2025, the T-DM1 extravasation wound had almost fully healed within about 4 weeks, and the patient continued adjuvant T-DM1 through a port; longer cancer-control status was not described.

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ER/PR/HER2-positive breast cancer: gallbladder, liver, lung, pleural, and bone metastases after incomplete adjuvant therapy

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

Biomarkers: Triple-positive breast cancer. Gallbladder metastasis kept ER/PR/HER2 positivity and Ki-67 >40%; markers supported breast origin.

Metastatic Site: gallbladder, liver, lung/pleura, bone

The patient died 3 years and 10 months after lumpectomy after metastatic ER/PR/HER2-positive breast cancer involved the gallbladder, liver, lungs/pleura, and bones following incomplete adjuvant therapy and loss to surveillance.

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Luminal A solid papillary breast carcinoma with lung metastasis: mastectomy and lung resection, PET-CT clear

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

Biomarkers: Initial breast tumor and lung metastasis were ER/PR positive, HER2 0

Metastatic Site: lung

About 40 days after lung surgery, PET-CT showed no abnormalities; the specialist recommended regular follow-up without additional antitumor drug therapy, and she was alive and in good condition.

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Metastatic hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: palbociclib and fulvestrant during dialysis

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-negative; HER2 0 / HER2-negative; Ki-67 20.1%

Metastatic Site: lung, pleura, bone, right supraclavicular lymph node

As of August 2025, metastatic breast cancer had remained stable for 18 months on fulvestrant plus dialysis-adjusted palbociclib dosing, with hematologic toxicity managed through treatment interruptions, transfusion, and dose reduction.

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Isolated adrenal metastasis from breast cancer: adrenalectomy and exemestane plus palbociclib

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative; GATA3-positive; CK7-positive; mammaglobin-positive; GCDFP-15 rare staining

Metastatic Site: right adrenal gland

After laparoscopic right adrenalectomy for isolated metastatic breast carcinoma, follow-up CT abdomen/pelvis and PET-CT showed no metastatic disease elsewhere; surveillance while on exemestane and palbociclib showed no recurrence so far.

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HER2-low lobular breast cancer with bone marrow involvement responding to T-DXd

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Initial surgical specimen: ER-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative. Bone marrow relapse: breast cancer infiltration with low HER2 staining.

Metastatic Site: bone marrow

Two years after starting T-DXd, this patient remained free of bone marrow disease and continued the same treatment regimen.

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HER2-low lobular breast cancer with bone marrow involvement treated with T-DXd

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Initial surgical specimen: ER-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative. Bone marrow relapse: breast cancer infiltration with low HER2 staining.

Metastatic Site: bone marrow

Two years after starting T-DXd, this patient remained free of bone marrow disease and continued the same treatment regimen.

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Metastatic male breast cancer: complete metabolic response after restarting anastrozole, leuprolide, abemaciclib, zoledronic acid, and radiation

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

Biomarkers: ER >95%; PR >95%; HER2/neu-negative; Ki-67 30%; PIK3CA exon 21 pathogenic variant; BRCA1 not mutated; BRCA2 not mutated

Metastatic Site: bone (vertebral bodies T2-T6, L1, and L5)

As of May 2025, after restarting endocrine and targeted therapy and receiving palliative radiation, the last two PET scans showed complete metabolic response without disease progression, and brain MRI showed no metastasis.

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