Targeted Therapy for Breast Cancer: 251 Real Stories

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

Cancer Stories

Kelsey, who was diagnosed with Stage II Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage II HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Kelsey's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kelsey, Female, Under 40 | Stage II

Biomarkers: ER-positive

As of May 2025, Kelsey had completed chemotherapy, double mastectomy with reconstruction, and 16 radiation sessions, and was continuing tamoxifen with Verzenio planned for 2 years plus Lupron ovarian-suppression shots.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

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.

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

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.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Anne, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

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.

Dana-Farber
OutcomeResponding Well
Katie, who was diagnosed with Stage III Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Stage III HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Katie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Katie, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

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

As of February 2025, Katie was a few months beyond active treatment for Stage III ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative ILC and was adjusting to maintenance therapy with Verzenio, Lupron, and Letrozole.

Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

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.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Karen, who was diagnosed with Stage II Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Stage II HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Karen's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Karen, Female, 40s | Stage II

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative; grade 2; inherited genetic testing negative

Karen completed double mastectomy, 3 months of chemotherapy and reconstruction. She was doing well on ongoing endocrine and targeted therapy and walking 3–5 miles daily.

Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance
OutcomeCare Ongoing / Survivorship
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage I Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage I ER-positive/HER2-positive breast cancer with radiation-associated morphea

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

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

No evidence of breast cancer recurrence after 2018 treatment; ongoing issue was generalized morphea and breast deformity related to prior radiation, improved with mycophenolate by April 2024.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
MB
Breast Cancer

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.

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

Stage I triple-negative solid basaloid adenoid cystic breast cancer treated with mastectomy and oral chemotherapy

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

Biomarkers: Current tumor was triple-negative with high Ki-67 and c-kit/CK7 staining. Prior breast cancer was ER-positive, HER2-positive, PR-negative.

One year after mastectomy and postoperative tegafur-gimeracil-oteracil potassium, she was recovering well without signs of metastasis.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSurvivorship / Completed Treatment
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

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.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

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.

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

Stage IV luminal B breast cancer with liver, bone, and bone marrow metastases

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

Biomarkers: ER 90% positive; PR 20% positive; HER2-negative; Ki-67 60%; luminal B

Metastatic Site: liver, bone, bone marrow

The patient had marked clinical and hematologic improvement on leuprorelin, letrozole, ribociclib, and zoledronic acid, with sustained complete remission reported for 4 months from September to December 2023 and monthly follow-up advised.

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

Breast Cancer Recurrence in the Small Intestine and Bone More Than 5 Years After Diagnosis

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

Biomarkers: Initial ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative; metastatic lesion ER-negative, PR-negative, triple negative

Metastatic Site: small intestine, bone, right fallopian tube

More than 5 years after her December 2018 diagnosis, she was alive at 1-year follow-up after metastatic recurrence, with multiple bone metastases still present.

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

Breast carcinoma in remission with stable cancer-associated retinal findings during follow-up

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: Breast cancer marker details not fully reported. CRMP-5 antibody changed from positive to negative; anti-retinal antibodies were present.

The breast carcinoma was described as in remission, and visual acuity and visual fields remained stable without progressive visual loss across 3 years of ophthalmic follow-up.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage II Breast Squamous Cell CarcinomaBreast Cancer

HER2-positive squamous cell breast cancer in complete remission

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

Biomarkers: HER2-positive squamous cell breast cancer, ER/PR negative, PD-L1 negative

Clinical complete remission and survival beyond 4 years after mastectomy, AC-TH chemotherapy, and HER2-directed maintenance therapy for Stage IIA HER2-positive primary squamous cell breast cancer.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED