Mastectomy for Stage 4 Breast Cancer: 131 Real Stories

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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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.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Lindsey's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lindsey Ballas, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Not reported

As of September 2017, Lindsey was living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer on advanced targeted maintenance therapy every 3 weeks, with stable disease and continued work and family life.

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

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; BRCA and other known hereditary breast cancer genes not identified in family history discussion

As of January 2017, Sarah had been living for almost 3 years with recurrent Stage IV HER2-positive breast cancer and was receiving Kadcyla every 3 weeks.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Debora's Patient Story

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

Debora was living with metastatic breast cancer after Stage III disease treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapy; four years after surgery, she was told the cancer had metastasized and was on targeted therapy.

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Stage III Inflammatory Breast Cancer Diagnosed After Severe Breast Pain and Swelling Following Mammography

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

Biomarkers: ER negative, PR negative, HER2 highly positive

After later metastatic disease was found, she chose no further active treatment and died of progressive disease in 2012.

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Stage IV ER/PR-positive mucinous breast cancer: long-term no evidence of disease after surgery, AFTV, radiation, CEF, and endocrine therapy

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; delayed-type hypersensitivity to AFTV became pseudo-positive after vaccination and remained pseudo-positive 5.4 years later

Metastatic Site: Th7 vertebra

More than 6 years after primary surgery, she remained well with no evidence of vertebral metastasis activity, new metastasis, or local recurrence.

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ER-positive breast cancer recurrence with renal metastasis inside angiomyolipoma

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; mammaglobulin-positive; e-cadherin-positive; GCDFP-15-positive; melan A positive in angiomyolipoma component

Metastatic Site: right subpectoral lymph node, left kidney

At 7 months after nephrectomy, she continued anti-estrogen hormonal therapy with no demonstrable progression of disease; surgical excision of the subpectoral lymph node was offered but declined.

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Metastatic lobular breast cancer to bladder trigone: partial response to tamoxifen

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

Biomarkers: progesterone receptor-positive; genetic testing including BRCA1 negative

Metastatic Site: bladder trigone

As of January 2012, urge incontinence had resolved and PET showed decreased activity in the breast and bladder trigone lesions nearly 10 months after starting tamoxifen, consistent with clinical and partial radiologic remission.

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Lobular breast cancer with extraocular muscle and lung metastases: ocular improvement after radiotherapy and tamoxifen

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

Biomarkers: Original breast cancer: ER-negative; PR-negative. Extraocular muscle metastasis/recurrent disease: ER strongly positive; PR strongly positive.

Metastatic Site: bilateral extraocular muscles, right upper lobe lung,…

At 18 months after presentation with extraocular muscle metastases, PET showed no abnormality, diplopia had resolved, and ocular motility had markedly improved, with mild bilateral ptosis remaining.

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HER2-positive breast cancer with isolated adrenal metastasis: adrenalectomy with no recurrence at follow-up

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

Biomarkers: Primary breast tumor and adrenal metastasis were HER2-positive and ER/PR negative; adrenal markers supported breast origin.

Metastatic Site: left adrenal gland

Alive in good condition with no evidence of recurrence more than 3 years after adrenalectomy for isolated adrenal metastasis and more than 5 years after the original breast surgery.

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