Stage 4 Breast Cancer: 304 Real Stories

304 stories match breast cancer and stage 4. 206 of them mention surgery.

A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer in remission: CBD and exercise for neuropathy

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

Biomarkers: Triple-negative breast cancer. Blood and immune inflammation measures were tracked during neuropathy care.

Metastatic Site: liver

She was in remission for more than 5 years after Stage IV breast cancer with a solitary liver metastasis, while later managing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy with CBD and an exercise program that improved symptoms and function.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Lisa, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Lisa's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lisa Ordmandy, Female, 60s | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Spine/bone: C2 and L3 vertebrae

As of June 2024, Lisa was living with metastatic breast cancer as a chronic illness, had recovered mobility after November 2023 spine surgery, continued close MD Anderson monitoring, and was being evaluated for possible clinical trials.

MD Anderson
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

BRCA2-mutant metastatic breast cancer: complete response with rucaparib maintenance

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

Biomarkers: Germline BRCA2 mutation; somatic BRCA2 mutation; HER2 amplification not seen by FISH; grade III IDC

Metastatic Site: bone

She maintained a complete response for 2 years on rucaparib, letrozole, and zoledronic acid after upfront metastatic BRCA2-mutated breast cancer involving bone, axillary nodes, and right-breast nodules.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Stage 4 breast cancer: hip reconstruction preserves mobility

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

Metastatic Site: bone (right acetabulum/pelvis: ilium, ischium,…

As of May 2024, 2 years after reconstruction for metastatic breast cancer involving the right acetabulum/pelvis, she had no recurrence of hip pain and had returned to baseline function; overall systemic cancer response was not reported.

PubMed Central
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
Melissa, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Stage IV Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Melissa's Patient Story

Patient Info: Melissa Adams, Female | Stage IV

Melissa’s breast cancer progressed after maintenance hormone therapy and was reassigned as Stage IV. She describes living with incurable disease while focusing on keeping the cancer at bay and staying engaged with family, church, and advocacy.

AACR
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

MSI-High Metastatic Hormone-Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Responding to Pembrolizumab

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative; MSI-high; BRCA mutation-negative

Metastatic Site: bone, para-aortic lymph nodes, brain

Pembrolizumab produced marked improvement in metastatic bone and nodal disease. After 1 year it was stopped because of appetite loss; 8 months later she was symptom-free and back at work on endocrine therapy, although asymptomatic brain metastases were documented.

PubMed Central
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Stage 4 lobular breast cancer: bone therapy switch to denosumab

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

Biomarkers: Not reported for breast cancer; CRP 21 mg/dL and ESR 27 mm/hr were elevated during orbital inflammation workup

Metastatic Site: bone

As of April 2024, zoledronate-associated ocular inflammation resolved within 2.5 weeks, vision returned to 20/20 after about 3 weeks, and bone-support treatment was changed to denosumab; breast-cancer response was not reported.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Invasive lobular breast cancer with isolated scalp metastasis: excision and endocrine therapy

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

Biomarkers: Original breast tumor: ER-positive; PR-positive; scalp metastasis: CK7-positive; ER-positive; GCDFP-15 partially positive

Metastatic Site: scalp/skin

As of April 2024, she had no signs of recurrence in the breast or scalp and no distant metastasis after excision of the isolated scalp metastasis while continuing anastrozole.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Catherine, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Catherine's Survivor Story

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

Metastatic Site: Brain/cerebellum region

As of April 2024, Catherine said she had been in remission for almost 3 years after a 2019 metastatic recurrence near the cerebellum, while continuing preventive treatment.

YouTube (FR search)
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Leslie, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Stage IV Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Leslie's Patient Story

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

Metastatic Site: Bone: spine, ribs, pelvis

Leslie was diagnosed at 56 with de novo metastatic ILC after an initial Stage II biopsy result was revised to Stage IV when MRI showed numerous bone metastases, and her cancer was well controlled on targeted drugs as of February 2024.

Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Rare soft-tissue sarcoma of the breast

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: TLE1 strongly and diffusely positive; p63, CK7

Metastatic Site: lungs

After mastectomy, the cancer was metastatic to the lungs and care was palliative.

PubMed Central
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Metastatic hormone receptor-positive breast cancer with paraneoplastic eosinophilic fasciitis

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; eosinophilia during paraneoplastic eosinophilic fasciitis flare

Metastatic Site: pelvis

As of February 2024, paraneoplastic eosinophilic fasciitis had remitted after prednisone plus systemic breast-cancer therapy, and 6-month follow-up showed no further skin recurrence or cancer progression.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
Dena, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV BRCA Breast Cancer: Dena's Patient Story

Patient Info: Dena Ofengeim, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Hormone receptor-positive; BRCA mutation

Metastatic Site: spine

Dena improved rapidly after treatment, regained her mobility, returned to an active life, and remained on therapy for metastatic breast cancer.

Dana-Farber
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Metastatic invasive lobular breast carcinoma to pancreas: biliary stent and paclitaxel

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

Biomarkers: Primary breast tumor was triple-negative. Pancreatic metastasis was ER-positive/GATA-positive

Metastatic Site: pancreas; coelio-mesenteric lymph nodes

After 21 years of remission, she developed pancreatic and coelio-mesenteric nodal metastases from invasive lobular breast carcinoma; palliative paclitaxel was stopped after 2 courses because her condition deteriorated, and she was lost to follow-up.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Treatment-Related Telangiectasias

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; initially ER-negative and PR-negative; metastatic disease weakly ER-positive and PR-negative; germline testing negative

Metastatic Site: left supraclavicular, mediastinal, axillary and…

Living with HER2-positive breast cancer for 9+ years since her 2014 diagnosis, including metastatic disease since 2017. She remained on reduced-dose tucatinib in 2023 while treatment-related telangiectasias improved after dose reduction and electrocautery.

PubMed Central
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

BRCA2-Positive Breast Cancer in a Woman With Down Syndrome

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-negative, HER2-negative, germline BRCA2 pathogenic variant

Metastatic Site: lungs, bones

The cancer later progressed with lung and bone metastases and extensive cancer spread through lymphatic vessels in both lungs. She died 59 months after breast surgery.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
Kris, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Kris's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kris Hallenga, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

As of December 2023, Kris Hallenga had been living with Stage IV breast cancer for 14 years after diagnosis at age 23, while continuing her CoppaFeel advocacy and public work around living fully with advanced cancer.

So Now I've Got Breast Cancer
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Treatment-Refractory Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treated With Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes

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

Biomarkers: Germline BRCA1 pathogenic variant; later triple-negative phenotype

Metastatic Site: skin, lungs, bones

Tumor burden briefly decreased after tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy, but she developed severe treatment complications followed by rapid cancer relapse and died about 1 month after the TIL/IL-2 treatment began.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Breast Cancer Recurs After a 19-Year Remission and Responds to Later Chemotherapy

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: PR-positive, ER-negative, HER2-negative. Recurrence: ER-positive, PR-negative

Metastatic Site: bones

The cancer recurred after a 19-year remission and later spread to bone. More than 21 years after the original diagnosis, she had marked tumor shrinkage, was in good general condition, and had 10 months of progression-free survival after utidelone plus capecitabine.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Male Breast Cancer Controlled for Years Through Multiple Lines of Targeted and Endocrine Therapy

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-positive; later ER-positive, PR-negative, HER2-negative; PIK3CA mutation; germline BRCA1/2 negative

Metastatic Site: bones, pleura, liver

After a 5-year and 6-month disease-free interval, the cancer recurred in bone and later progressed to the pleura and liver. He died in January 2021, more than 13 years after his 2007 breast-cancer diagnosis.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Male breast cancer in both breasts linked to Klinefelter syndrome, initially missed

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: spine / bone

With advanced metastatic disease and an estimated prognosis of weeks or less, care focused on symptom relief under the palliative-care team.

PubMed Central
OutcomeEnd of Life / Hospice
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Adenoid Cystic Breast Cancer Spreads to the Kidney, Lungs, Bone and Spleen

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

Biomarkers: Triple-negative

Metastatic Site: kidneys, lungs, spleen, bone, lymph nodes

The cancer progressed from an initial kidney metastasis to widespread disease involving the lungs, spleen, right kidney, lymph nodes, and C4 vertebra. By May 2022 she had worsening cachexia and pain, and best supportive care was recommended.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression