Paclitaxel for Stage 4 Breast Cancer: 60 Real Stories

Recurrent Breast Cancer With a Benign-Appearing Chest-Wall Rash

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: ER-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative.

Metastatic Site: mediastinal lymph nodes

She had recurrent chest-wall and mediastinal metastatic disease; a later rash biopsy showed dermatitis rather than another skin recurrence.

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Young woman with ductal breast cancer and bleeding gastric metastases

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

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

Metastatic Site: pancreas|liver|kidney|stomach

After rapid progression to the pancreas, liver, kidney and stomach, she chose palliative care and died 1 month after presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding.

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

Patient Info: Eva Joseph | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Triple-negative

Metastatic Site: lungs, sternum

On ongoing atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel, Eva’s lung and sternum tumors became very small and were being kept at bay while she felt well enough to enjoy short trips.

Metastatic Breast Cancer Presenting With Severe Pulmonary Hypertension

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive.

Metastatic Site: bone; bone marrow

At seven months, she was doing well with a marked response on PET imaging, normalized right-heart pressures, and ongoing systemic treatment with palbociclib.

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Breast cancer recurrence involving the bladder and bones

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Initial breast cancer: ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative. Bladder metastasis: ER-positive, PR-negative, HER2 1+.

Metastatic Site: bladder, bone, rectosigmoid region, anorectal region

She died in October 2016 from pulmonary haemorrhage, 47 months after metastatic disease was diagnosed.

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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 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.

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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.

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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.

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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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ER/PR-positive breast cancer with bilateral ovarian metastases controlled after oophorectomy and aromatase inhibitor

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative; CK7-positive; gross cystic disease fluid protein-15-positive; CK20-negative

Metastatic Site: bilateral ovaries

After bilateral oophorectomies and aromatase inhibitor therapy, pleural effusion resolved, CEA and CA 15-3 decreased below the normal upper limit, and she remained well with no further recurrence for 40 months.

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