Recurrent breast cancer with pleural disease: capecitabine stopped after cardiac complications

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

Metastatic Site: pleura

As of May 2025, she was living with recurrent breast cancer involving the pleura after stopping capecitabine because of major cardiac complications; cardiac symptoms were medically managed with stable NYHA class II dyspnea at 3-month follow-up.

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

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

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

Metastatic Site: Rib; spine; pelvis

After a mixed response on the radium trial, Samantha changed to anastrozole and abemaciclib. She described the newer hormone-targeted combination as easier to tolerate and working better while remaining in ongoing treatment.

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Breast cancer first discovered after it had already spread to the spinal cord

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

Biomarkers: Estrogen receptor-positive; progesterone receptor-negative; HER2 score 0

Metastatic Site: intramedullary spinal cord (D11-D12); bilateral…

Her paraplegia did not improve after spinal radiation, and she died from disease progression 3 months after the breast-cancer diagnosis.

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HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Brain and Leptomeningeal Metastases Responding to Intrathecal Treatment

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: brain, leptomeninges

More than 5 years after her September 2019 diagnosis, neurological symptoms had resolved, cerebrospinal fluid remained negative for tumor cells, and maintenance treatment was continuing in February 2025.

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Stable Metastatic Breast Cancer During Treatment With a CDK4/6 Inhibitor and Fulvestrant

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

Biomarkers: HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: liver

Metastatic breast cancer remained stable after 18 months of tiremciclib and fulvestrant.

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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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Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Stephani's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Stephani St. Cyr, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-targeted treatments reported; no inherited cancer gene mutation found.

Metastatic Site: Bone; liver; brain

As of March 2025, Stephani had Stage IV metastatic breast cancer involving bone, liver, and brain, had no evidence of disease since July 2021, and continued HER2-targeted/systemic therapy.

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

Patient Info: Anne Keane, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: bones, liver

Anne had an extraordinary response to first-line treatment for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer and remained on the same HER2-targeted therapy for 6 years.

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Stage IV Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Maggie's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Maggie, Female | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: lungs, lymph nodes; possible liver

Diagnosed in 2022 with de novo Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer involving the lungs and lymph nodes, with possible liver involvement. After entering a chemotherapy/immunotherapy clinical trial, she reported being cancer-free / no evidence of disease for well over 1 year as of February 2025.

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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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Metastatic Lobular Breast Cancer First Appearing as Skin Nodules

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

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

Metastatic Site: skin

Died 7 months after the diagnosis of cutaneous metastatic breast cancer.

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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 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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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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Paclitaxel-Related Macular Edema During Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive, HER2-negative

Cancer treatment continued with eribulin after paclitaxel was stopped because of vision toxicity in early 2021.

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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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Breast Cancer Responses During Mistletoe Extract and Intratumoral Influenza Vaccine Treatment

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

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

Metastatic Site: bone, lungs, pleura

After a mixed radiologic response, she declined further imaging and remained in good condition without clinical evidence of further progression.

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HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Metastatic Progression and Drug-Induced Lupus During T-DM1

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

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

Metastatic Site: bones, axillary lymph nodes, intra-abdominal lymph…

More than 5 years after her March 2018 diagnosis, she was living with metastatic breast cancer, but T-DM1 had been stopped after disease progression in 2023.

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Stage IV luminal A breast cancer: liver resection and disease-free follow-up

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

Biomarkers: luminal A; ER-positive; PgR-positive; HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: lung, liver

Disease-free after R0 hepatic segmentectomy for breast cancer liver metastasis, with May 2021 MRI showing no remaining liver nodules while she continued maintenance letrozole and goserelin.

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Stage IV luminal B HER2-negative breast cancer with liver-limited metastasis resected after systemic therapy

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

Biomarkers: Luminal B; HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: liver

After liver segmentectomy for breast-cancer liver metastasis, follow-up imaging showed no remaining liver nodes, and she remained fit, well, disease-free, and on maintenance letrozole plus goserelin.

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Stage 4 HR-positive breast cancer: stable disease on ribociclib

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

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

Metastatic Site: left iliac bone

Metastatic HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer remained without progression as of October 2024 while she continued ribociclib 400 mg plus letrozole after SBRT to a left iliac bone metastasis.

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Deltra: Stage IV Breast Cancer

Patient Info: Deltra James, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

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

As of December 2024, Deltra James was living with de novo Stage IV triple-negative metastatic breast cancer and advocating for sexual-health and intimacy conversations in metastatic care.