Targeted Therapy for Breast Cancer: 251 Real Stories

251 stories match breast cancer and targeted therapy. 200 of them mention chemotherapy.

Cancer Stories

Sonja, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

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

Patient Info: Sonja Rideout, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; Tempus testing later indicated immunotherapy as an option

Metastatic Site: Lungs; liver; bone: tailbone; thoracic lymph nodes

As of January 2026, Sonja was living with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer after spread to lungs and liver, later tailbone and thoracic lymph nodes, and had moved to weekly carboplatin/gemcitabine plus monthly immunotherapy.

Susan G. Komen
OutcomeSetback / Progression
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Stage IV triple-negative invasive lobular breast cancer with HER2 mutations: complete metabolic response to trastuzumab deruxtecan

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

Biomarkers: Triple-negative invasive lobular breast cancer with HER2-low/dubious staining and HER2 FISH-negative; somatic ERBB2/HER2 and mutations.

Metastatic Site: iliac bone lesions / bone metastases

As of January 2026, metastatic triple-negative invasive lobular breast cancer with HER2 mutations had a sustained complete metabolic response to trastuzumab deruxtecan for 20 months, with dose reduction for neutropenia and no pulmonary toxicity.

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

Breast Cancer Discovered After Widespread Bone Metastases

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

Biomarkers: ER 90–95%; PR 90–95%; HER2 IHC 0; Ki-67 5%; germline BRCA1/2 negative

Metastatic Site: bone, bone marrow

She was receiving ongoing letrozole and ribociclib for Stage IV hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer with diffuse bone involvement.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage I Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Male breast cancer history complicated by suspected bone disease and later IgG-kappa multiple myeloma

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

Biomarkers: Breast cancer was ER/PR-positive and HER2-negative by FISH. Later workup showed IgG-kappa multiple myeloma with IgH rearrangement.

The patient achieved very good partial response after KBD and completed autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with engraftment, but later died of a novel coronavirus infection.

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

Metastatic Breast Cancer Causing Bile Duct Obstruction and Liver Failure

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

Biomarkers: Metastatic biopsy ER-negative, PR-negative, HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: bone, liver, common bile duct

Her metastatic breast cancer progressed rapidly with diffuse liver involvement and bile-duct invasion, leading to liver failure and death 28 days after admission.

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

Stage IV ER/PR-positive breast cancer with retinal vein and artery occlusion during endocrine-targeted therapy

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

Biomarkers: ER 70%; PR 100%; HER2-negative; Ki-67 10%

Metastatic Site: bone (cranial vault, right first rib, sternum, D5, D6,…

As of November 2025, she continued care for Stage IV ER/PR-positive breast cancer with bone metastases while also managing severe left-eye retinal vascular occlusion and limited visual recovery.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast AdenocarcinomaBreast Cancer

Synchronous EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma and metastatic breast cancer: surgery and adjuvant therapy

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

Biomarkers: Two cancers: lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR exon 19 deletion; breast cancer ER-positive, PR-low, HER2 non-amplified.

Metastatic Site: lung

Follow-up CT on 26 December 2024 showed no recurrence, with disease-free survival estimated at 27 months to 1 April 2025 while on icotinib and letrozole maintenance.

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

HER2-positive breast cancer: brain recurrence, T-DXd liver injury, and later progression

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; hormone receptor-negative; grade 3 infiltrative breast carcinoma

Metastatic Site: brain; thoracic lymph nodes

As of October 2025, the patient had developed brain and thoracic nodal recurrence after HER2-directed treatment, experienced T-DXd-associated liver injury, progressed after later paclitaxel/trastuzumab, and died at home in December 2024 under palliative care.

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

Stage IIIB HER2-positive breast cancer followed by resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

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

Biomarkers: Breast cancer HER2-amplified; ER/PR changed from positive to negative after treatment. Pancreatic markers supported a separate pancreatic cancer.

The breast cancer achieved radiological and clinical remission after multimodality HER2-directed treatment. In 2025, a separate pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma was resected, and adjuvant gemcitabine plus albumin-bound paclitaxel was recommended.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Janella, who was diagnosed with Breast CancerBreast Cancer

HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Janella's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Janella Bustamante, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: Triple-positive: estrogen-, progesterone- and HER2-fueled breast cancer

As of October 2025, Janella had completed lumpectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and HER2-targeted biological therapy for triple-positive breast cancer and was on follow-up every 3 months; the source describes life after cancer but does not explicitly state NED/cancer-free.

Cleveland Clinic
OutcomeSurvivorship / Surveillance
Paul, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

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

Patient Info: Paul Forgette, Male, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; triple-positive breast cancer; CHEK2 mutation

Metastatic Site: Bones; lymph nodes

By October 2025, 9 months after starting Enhertu, Paul’s Stage IV HER2-positive male breast cancer was described as dormant, not cured, with continued City of Hope care and integrative support.

City of Hope
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Nicole, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

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

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

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

Metastatic Site: liver

Nicole remained in active treatment for liver-metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, with meaningful response after switching to an antibody-drug conjugate and then undergoing mastectomy.

The Patient Story
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Stage IIIC ER-positive male breast cancer: mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, tamoxifen and abemaciclib

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 40s | Stage III

Biomarkers: ER 90% positive; PR 60% positive; HER2 score 0; Ki-67 15%; BRCA1 and BRCA2 no pathogenic variants; CEA 2.4 ng/mL; CA15-3 13.6 U/mL

He remained on tamoxifen and dose-adjusted abemaciclib; annual follow-up imaging, including non-contrast CT, showed no local or distant relapse.

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

Stage IV Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Dalitso's Patient Story

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

Metastatic Site: bone: spine, ribs, sternum, hip sockets

Dalitso had severe Stage IV bone-metastatic breast cancer with hospice-level symptoms and later bone progression, but subsequent imaging after a new treatment approach showed no visible active disease.

The Patient Story
OutcomeResponding Well
Marissa, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Stage IV BRCA2 Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Marissa's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: BRCA2 mutation; HER2-negative; PARP inhibitor resistance/progression described

Metastatic Site: bone marrow / bone; lymph nodes; skull lesions

Marissa’s breast tumors resolved after hormone blockers, but she remained in active treatment for Stage IV disease involving bone marrow/bone, lymph nodes, and skull lesions.

The Patient Story
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Breast CancerBreast Cancer

HER2-positive breast cancer: AC-THP treatment completed after infusion-port salvage

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

She completed the planned breast-cancer treatment course after successful port salvage, had no recurrence of port-site skin thinning or exposure over the next 2 years, and the port was removed in October 2024.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSurvivorship / Completed Treatment