Targeted Therapy for Breast Cancer: 251 Real Stories

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

Cancer Stories

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 III Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer and ovarian cancer treated with chemotherapy and PARP inhibitor

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

Biomarkers: Germline pathogenic BRCA2 c.6468_6469del; breast tumor triple-negative

As of April 2024, 6-week follow-up after breast and nodal radiation was unremarkable, erythema had resolved, and no breast, chest wall, respiratory, or axillary abnormality was found; longer-term control was not reported.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
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 Breast CancerBreast Cancer

HER2-positive apocrine breast cancer: chemotherapy and Herceptin

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s

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

Disease-free for 2 years after treatment for HER2-positive apocrine breast cancer, with no reported lymph-node recurrence or distant metastases during surveillance.

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

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

Patient Info: Allison Tierney, Female | Stage II

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-positive; CHEK2 mutation; BRCA1/2 negative

As of March 2024, Allison had completed Taxol and Herceptin treatment, was on tamoxifen planned for 10 years, and had moved to 6-month oncology follow-up. No metastatic disease or recurrence was reported.

YouTube — The Patient Story
OutcomeCare Ongoing
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
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 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
A patient, who was diagnosed with Breast CancerBreast Cancer

HER2-Positive Mucoepidermoid Breast Cancer With 61 Months Without Recurrence

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 50s

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

She was alive without signs of recurrence after 61 months of follow-up, providing just over 5 years of documented follow-up for this second primary breast cancer.

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

Five Years Without Breast Cancer Recurrence Despite a Markedly Elevated CA 15-3

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

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-positive

Five years after her Stage I breast-cancer diagnosis, breast imaging and systemic evaluation showed no evidence of recurrence. The markedly elevated CA 15-3 was traced to a separate renal tumor and normalized after nephrectomy.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
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 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 Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatment Complicated by a Supplement–Drug Interaction

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

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

Metastatic Site: bones

She resumed ribociclib with letrozole after the supplement was discontinued and the treatment-related neutropenia improved enough to restart therapy.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Sherri, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV Breast Cancer: Sherri's Patient Story

Patient Info: Sherri, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: BRCA1-negative

Metastatic Site: Bone marrow

As of November 2023, Sherri had no evidence of disease on recent breast cancer scans but remained on targeted treatment every 3 weeks and had started oxaliplatin after surgery for a separate Stage III colon cancer.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCare Ongoing
Corky, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Inflammatory Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IV Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Corky's Patient Story

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

Metastatic Site: Not reported

As of October 2023, Corky was living with Stage IV inflammatory breast cancer as a chronic condition, receiving ongoing treatment focused on prolonging life and preserving quality of life.

Cleveland Clinic
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Metastatic breast cancer: three years in remission with T-DM1 (Kadcyla) treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; hormone receptor-positive

Metastatic Site: liver; spine / bone

T-DM1 produced a complete clinical and radiological response after 7 cycles, sustained for 41 months and 60 cycles while treatment continued.

PubMed Central
OutcomeComplete Response
Brenda, who was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Brenda's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Brenda, Female, 40s

Brenda completed mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and an oophorectomy. She remained on anastrozole and a CDK4/6 inhibitor when she shared her story.

Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance
OutcomeCare Ongoing / Survivorship