Radiation for Stage 4 Breast Cancer: 155 Real Stories

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

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; broad hereditary genetic testing negative

Metastatic Site: spine

As of November 2024, Nina described being in a no-evidence-of-disease phase, while continuing treatment because of her Stage IV HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer history.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Breast invasive lobular carcinoma metastatic to the endometrium: hysterectomy and hormone therapy

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

Biomarkers: HER2 negative, PR/HER2 negative.

Metastatic Site: endometrium (endometrial polyp)

No signs of recurrence were reported 18 months after total hysterectomy with bilateral adnexectomy for endometrial metastasis from invasive lobular breast carcinoma, with scheduled follow-up every 3 to 6 months.

PubMed CentralRead more →

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

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive

Metastatic Site: Bones

As of October 2024, Dee was living with Stage IV metastatic ER-positive breast cancer after bone metastases were found in 2023 and had adapted to treatment with ribociclib.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Stage IV HER2-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Dee's Patient Story

Patient Info: Dee Doherty, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Hormone-sensitive disease implied by letrozole and ovarian suppression; ER/PR/HER2 status not explicitly stated

Metastatic Site: bone

As of September 2024, Dee was living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Her tumors had not shrunk, but disease was stable on ribociclib/Kisqali, letrozole, and ovarian suppression.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Lourdes's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lourdes Monje, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: lung

Lourdes is receiving investigational treatment through a clinical trial, with manageable side effects, while continuing to work and spend time with family and friends.

Stage IV KRAS Breast Cancer: Lauren's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lauren, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: KRAS mutation in colon cancer context

Metastatic Site: Abdominal lining; spine

As of September 2024, Lauren was living with a history of Stage IV colon cancer and recurrent metastatic breast cancer in the spine, with low colon tumor markers, recurring spinal spots, and PET scans every 3 months.

The Patient StoryRead more →

Stage 4 breast cancer: ongoing treatment with multi-line chemotherapy

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: hormone receptor-negative; HER2 2+. 2011 recurrence: ER 10%; PR 70%; HER2 2+.

Metastatic Site: pleura/pleural effusion; lung

Metastatic breast cancer with malignant pleural effusion achieved complete response after chemotherapy and long-term endocrine therapy; PET-CT in October 2023 still showed complete response, with ongoing cardiac and bone-health management.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Triple-negative breast cancer: partial response to immunotherapy combination

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

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative; Ki-67 >80%

Metastatic Site: left lung, neck lymph nodes, mediastinal lymph nodes

Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer had a partial response after 9 months of pembrolizumab plus MK-4830, with reduced tumor burden, decreased lung and mediastinal metastases, and no new metastatic lesions; immunotherapy continued after prednisone controlled a grade 2 lichenoid eruption.

PubMed CentralRead more →

HER2-Positive Breast Cancer That Spread to the Cervix

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; ER and PR less than 1% in the left breast tumor

Metastatic Site: cervix, esophagus, mediastinal lymph nodes

Cervical metastasis showed a local complete response after brachytherapy, but systemic disease later progressed to the esophagus. She died after 4 months of nutritional support and palliative treatment.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Samantha's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: Hormone-positive breast cancer; specific receptor details not reported

Metastatic Site: bone: rib, spine, pelvis

As of July 2024, Samantha was living with Stage IV hormone-positive breast cancer with bone metastases. Current treatment was working in most areas, but a breast tumor continued to grow and was surgically removed; ongoing treatment and 3-month scans were reported.

YouTube — The Patient StoryRead more →

HR-positive HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer: bone metastases managed with sequential endocrine therapy

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

Biomarkers: ER 90%+, PR 80%+, HER2-. CA 15-3 was tracked during treatment.

Metastatic Site: skull base; spine; sternum; ribs; left iliac bone;…

Metastatic HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer remained under active management; after earlier progression, palbociclib plus fulvestrant and zoledronic acid produced stable/remission findings on PET/CT at 3 months and again 1 year later, with continued 3-month follow-up recommended.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage 4 luminal A breast cancer: tumor regression on hormone therapy

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

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

Metastatic Site: skin, soft tissue, lungs

Metastatic Luminal A breast cancer involving skin/soft tissue and lungs showed regressing tumors and stable lung metastasis after 3 months of anti-hormone therapy plus capecitabine; longer-term control was not reported.

PubMed CentralRead more →

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 CentralRead more →

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 CentralRead more →

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.

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 CentralRead more →

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 CentralRead more →

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)Read more →

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-FarberRead more →

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 CentralRead more →

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 CentralRead more →

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 CentralRead more →

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 CentralRead more →

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 CentralRead more →