Stage I Left Breast Cancer Treated With Surgery and Radiation

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage I

Imaging in January 2019 found no evidence of breast-cancer recurrence.

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Stage IIIA Right Breast Cancer Followed by a Late Radiation Nerve Injury

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

Imaging in January 2019 found no evidence of breast-cancer recurrence, although she had developed radiation-induced brachial plexopathy.

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Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treated With Mastectomy and Chemotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: Triple-negative.

The later accessory-breast-tissue cancer was considered a separate new primary after a five-year interval, and she was currently without evidence of disease.

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A New Breast Cancer Arising Beneath an Accessory Nipple

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: ER 5%; PR 5–10%; HER2-negative.

After chemotherapy, surgery, endocrine therapy, proton radiation, and later reconstruction revision, she was currently without evidence of disease.

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Earlier right breast cancer treated with mastectomy 18 years before a new contralateral primary

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: Triple-negative

The right-sided T1aN0 triple-negative cancer was treated by mastectomy 18 years before a separate left breast primary was diagnosed.

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A Rare Metaplastic Breast Cancer With Bone-Like Tissue Formation

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: ER weakly positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative; BRCA mutation not detected; described as triple-negative

One year after left mastectomy, she was alive without notable complications or evidence of recurrence.

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HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Linked to a Rare Immune-Related Neurological Syndrome

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: HER2-positive in both foci; one focus ER-negative/PR-positive with Ki-67 45%; second focus ER-negative/PR-negative with Ki-67 35%; anti-Yo antibodies positive in serum and CSF; tumour-susceptibility gene panel negative

At 1 year, she had completed trastuzumab, continued tamoxifen, and had no evidence of recurrent breast cancer; intensive rehabilitation improved her mobility, although balance and right-sided neurological deficits persisted.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Doris's Patient Story

Patient Info: Doris, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: lungs

As of August 2020, Doris was living with Stage IV breast cancer metastatic to the lungs after chemotherapy and bilateral mastectomies, and the story asked for help so she could continue treatment.

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Late Breast Skin Changes After Partial-Breast Radiation

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Mammography, ultrasound, MRI, and skin biopsy found no breast-cancer recurrence 13 years after treatment.

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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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Heart Failure and Electrical Conduction Changes During Trastuzumab Treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; ER-positive

Trastuzumab was suspended after acute heart failure and electrical conduction abnormalities; 4 weeks later, left ventricular function recovered and the ECG returned to normal during cardio-oncology follow-up.

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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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Lobular breast cancer later spread to the stomach, bone, neck and mediastinum

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

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

Metastatic Site: stomach|bone|neck|mediastinum

After gastric metastasis was diagnosed and later imaging showed bone, neck and mediastinal spread, her oral intake and health declined; she chose palliative care and died 7 months after the diagnostic endoscopy.

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Stage II HR-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Caitlin's Patient Story

Patient Info: Caitlin J., Female, Under 40 | Stage II

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

As of July 2020, Caitlin had completed lumpectomy, AC chemotherapy, Taxol, and 33 radiation treatments for Stage IIB ER-positive, PR-positive IDC and was continuing monthly Lupron plus daily anastrozole.

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Lobular Breast Cancer Spread Into a Nasal Tumor

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

Biomarkers: Metastatic lobular focus: ER 8/8; PR 8/8; HER2-negative; E-cadherin-negative.

Metastatic Site: liver; bone; right nasal cavity within an olfactory…

The nasal lesion was removed with no residual local disease on imaging, and capecitabine was restarted while oncology follow-up continued for metastatic breast cancer.

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Bilateral Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Followed by Blood Clots and a Spinal-Fluid Leak

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: Triple-negative

Two years after chemotherapy, a recurrent cerebrospinal-fluid leak was repaired endoscopically and had not recurred at 12 months.

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Fatal Bowel Infection After the First Chemotherapy Cycle for Early HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

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

Nine days after the first TCH cycle, she developed fulminant febrile neutropenia and Clostridium septicum sepsis with extensive bowel ischaemia; despite emergency treatment and resuscitation, she died 4 hours after hospital arrival.

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Stage IV Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Kristine's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kristine, Female | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Lymph nodes; chest wall; upper lungs

As of May 2020, Kristine was living with recurrent metastatic breast cancer involving lymph nodes, chest wall and upper lungs, after surgery and radiation, with daily oral chemotherapy helping keep cancer controlled.

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Breast reconstruction complicated by venous congestion in a woman with sickle cell trait

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

The reconstructed flap was salvaged after postoperative venous congestion, and she was discharged on therapeutic enoxaparin and aspirin.

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Occult breast cancer found in the axillary lymph nodes during diagnosis of four cancers

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: ER 90% positive; HER2 overexpression; CK19-positive; mammaglobin-positive.

Almost four years after the synchronous cancer diagnoses, she was alive without recurrence and continued letrozole and oncology follow-up.

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Jaw and neck infection mimicked breast cancer spread ten years after treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Ten years after mastectomy and radiation, she remained on adjuvant hormone therapy; the new jaw and neck lesions were actinomycosis rather than breast-cancer spread.

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

Patient Info: Christine Hodgdon, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Christine had no evidence of disease after 1 year and continued HER2-targeted treatment with regular surveillance scans.

Early metaplastic breast cancer treated alongside a separate lung cancer

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

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

At 24 months, breast MRI showed no recurrent breast cancer after surgery and six cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin.

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Severe breast ulceration from pyoderma gangrenosum 17 years after cancer treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biopsies and imaging found no malignancy in the ulcerated breast, and treatment of infection and pyoderma gangrenosum produced a marked reduction in ulceration after discharge.

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