Mastectomy for Stage 4 Breast Cancer: 131 Real Stories

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

Patient Info: Sonja Rideout, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; Tempus testing later indicated immunotherapy as an option

Metastatic Site: Lungs; liver; bone: tailbone; thoracic lymph nodes

As of January 2026, Sonja was living with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer after spread to lungs and liver, later tailbone and thoracic lymph nodes, and had moved to weekly carboplatin/gemcitabine plus monthly immunotherapy.

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Lea's Patient Story

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

Metastatic Site: Bone: hip sockets, femurs, spine; liver

As of January 2026, Lea was living with metastatic breast cancer involving bone and liver and was in active treatment with Taxol after progression changed her treatment plan.

Triple-negative breast cancer with occult metastasis in parathyroid and ectopic thyroid adenomas: complete remission after chemotherapy

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

Biomarkers: Triple-negative breast cancer. Metastatic deposits were CK7 positive and negative for ER, HER2

Metastatic Site: parathyroid adenoma; ectopic thyroid adenoma /…

As of December 2025, she remained in complete remission 1 year after systemic chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer with occult metastatic deposits in parathyroid and ectopic thyroid adenomas.

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Young Woman With Breast Cancer and Four Inherited Cancer-Risk Variants

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

Biomarkers: ER 40%; PgR 60%; HER2 0; Ki-67 25%; germline pathogenic variants in ATM, PALB2, PMS2

Metastatic Site: brain

The breast cancer spread rapidly to the brain, and she died within a few months.

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I Was Told I Was TOO YOUNG For Breast Cancer!

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: mediastinum; lymph nodes between the lungs

As of November 2025, the patient was living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, described as lifelong and requiring ongoing treatment. She had also completed local treatment for a later breast lesion.

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Synchronous EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma and metastatic breast cancer: surgery and adjuvant therapy

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

Biomarkers: Two cancers: lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR exon 19 deletion; breast cancer ER-positive, PR-low, HER2 non-amplified.

Metastatic Site: lung

Follow-up CT on 26 December 2024 showed no recurrence, with disease-free survival estimated at 27 months to 1 April 2025 while on icotinib and letrozole maintenance.

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HER2-positive breast cancer: brain recurrence, T-DXd liver injury, and later progression

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; hormone receptor-negative; grade 3 infiltrative breast carcinoma

Metastatic Site: brain; thoracic lymph nodes

As of October 2025, the patient had developed brain and thoracic nodal recurrence after HER2-directed treatment, experienced T-DXd-associated liver injury, progressed after later paclitaxel/trastuzumab, and died at home in December 2024 under palliative care.

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Stage IV Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Nicole's Patient Story

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

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

Metastatic Site: liver

Nicole remained in active treatment for liver-metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, with meaningful response after switching to an antibody-drug conjugate and then undergoing mastectomy.

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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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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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HER2-positive breast cancer with brain, skin, and lymph-node metastases responding to dual-targeted therapy

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive breast cancer. Initial tumor was ER/PR negative with Ki-67 30%; skin metastasis had Ki-67 70%.

Metastatic Site: brain, left cervical lymph nodes, skin of left chest…

After 1 cycle of inetetamab trastuzumab, pyrotinib, and capecitabine, skin metastases regressed, CEA and CA125 decreased, brain lesions shrank, and the largest lesion decreased by about 46%, meeting partial response; disease remained stable as of September 2024.

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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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Stage 4 triple-negative breast cancer: NED after adrenalectomy

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

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative; CA 15-3 elevated at recurrence; normalized post-surgery

Metastatic Site: adrenal gland

After adrenalectomy, serum CA15-3 and metanephrine/normetanephrine levels normalized, and the preoperative workup had found no other metastatic disease.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Queen's Patient Story

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

As of June 2025, Queen was living with Stage IV/metastatic breast cancer after multiple surgeries, setbacks, spread, and another tumor, while focusing on faith, self-advocacy, and living each day fully.

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Metastatic ER-positive pleomorphic lobular breast cancer: psoas metastasis and stable disease on eribulin

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

Biomarkers: Primary and chest-wall recurrence were ER/PR positive, HER2 negative. Later psoas metastasis was ER positive, PR/HER2 negative.

Metastatic Site: skin of left chest wall; bone; left psoas muscle;…

As of May 2025, one year after diagnosis of malignant psoas syndrome from breast cancer metastasis, she remained on outpatient treatment with eribulin and had stable disease.

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Metastatic Neuroendocrine Breast Cancer With Severe Hormone Overproduction

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

Biomarkers: ER-negative, PR focally positive, HER2-negative, PIK3CA mutation

Metastatic Site: liver, bone

Died after rapid deterioration and cardiac arrest during progressive metastatic disease.

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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.

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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.

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Stage 4 hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: remission with PARP inhibitor

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

Biomarkers: HR-positive breast cancer with HER2-low/negative recurrence, and pathogenic BRCA2 R2318* mutation.

Metastatic Site: pleura

As of January 2025, she had maintained complete response for 36 months after sequential FEC/docetaxel and olaparib for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative/HER2-low metastatic breast cancer with BRCA2 R2318* mutation.

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Breast Cancer Recurring Years Later With Leptomeningeal Spread and a Brief Response to Trastuzumab Deruxtecan

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

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

Metastatic Site: peritoneum, retroperitoneum, bones, leptomeninges

Died on May 10, 2024, about 18 years after her April 2006 breast-cancer diagnosis and about 6 years after metastatic recurrence.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Kate's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: Hormone-positive

Metastatic Site: Hip bone; lymph nodes near the lungs

Kate remained in active chemotherapy for stage IV disease, with surgery and radiation planned.

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

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

Biomarkers: HR-positive

Metastatic Site: lymph nodes near the lungs; chest wall and skin…

Kate was receiving chemotherapy for Stage IV hormone-positive breast cancer, with surgery and radiation discussed as planned next steps but not yet completed in the source.

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Metastatic breast cancer with receptor evolution: sequential endocrine, immunotherapy, CDK4/6, and antibody-drug conjugate treatment

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

Biomarkers: Markers changed over time: initial tumor ER-positive/HER2-negative; local recurrence triple-negative/HER2-low; pleural fluid ER-negative.

Metastatic Site: mediastinal lymph nodes, pleura; pulmonary nodules…

More than 7 years after diagnosis, she remained on sequential systemic therapy for metastatic breast cancer, with at least a partial response 3 months after starting sacituzumab govitecan for presumed triple-negative pleural disease.

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