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

Patient Info: Olivia Franz, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: Bones; distant lymph nodes

As of October 2023, Olivia continued to show no evidence of disease on scans while receiving maintenance trastuzumab and pertuzumab every 3 weeks and zoledronic acid every 3 months for bone health.

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Exercise Trainer Helps Detect Brain Metastases in a Woman With Long-Standing Metastatic Breast Cancer

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

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

Metastatic Site: liver, bones, lymph nodes, kidney, brain

She died 5 months after the brain metastases were diagnosed, roughly 7 years after her original 2014 breast-cancer diagnosis.

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

Patient Info: April Donaldson, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Triple-negative breast cancer; BRCA1 positive

Metastatic Site: Lungs

As of September 2023, April was living with Stage IV metastatic triple-negative breast cancer in the lungs; scans were stable in February but showed growth again in July, and PARP inhibitor therapy was being planned.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Britney's Patient Story

Patient Info: Britney Beadle, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Bone; liver; brain; lungs

As of August 2023, Britney was living with Stage IV breast cancer on Enhertu every 21 days, with liver clear and bone/lung disease showing regression on the latest described scan.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Brittney's Patient Story

Patient Info: Brittney Beadle, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Bones; liver; brain; lungs

As of August 2023, Brittney was living with Stage IV breast cancer on ENHERTU every 21 days, with brain clear for 4.5 years, liver clear, and bone and lung disease regressing.

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HER2-Positive Acantholytic Squamous Breast Cancer Responds Completely to Preoperative Therapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, female

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; postoperative residual in-situ disease ER-positive and PR-positive

The invasive cancer achieved a pathologic complete response, and she had no recurrence or metastasis during 1.5 years of follow-up.

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Stage IV HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Abigail's Patient Story

Patient Info: Abigail Myers, female, Under 40 | Stage IV

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

Metastatic Site: bones, brain

Abigail continued living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer after about 8 years of multiple treatment lines, including therapy for bone and brain metastases.

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Chemotherapy complication: methotrexate absorbed into the bloodstream after spinal injection

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative; Oncotype DX Recurrence Score 20

Metastatic Site: leptomeninges / central nervous system; brain

Five months after leptomeningeal carcinomatosis was recognised, she developed a new 2 cm brain lesion and neurological decline. Her family chose supportive care, and she died 10 days after transfer to inpatient hospice.

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Breast cancer that spread to the thymus gland

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Oestrogen receptor-positive; progesterone receptor-positive; HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: thymus

She had a good response after 4 cycles of abemaciclib, anastrozole and goserelin and continued endocrine treatment with surveillance of the opposite breast.

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HER2-positive breast cancer on hemodialysis: partial response to T-DM1 then no metabolically active disease

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

Biomarkers: Hormone receptor-positive; HER2/neu-positive; E-cadherin-positive; Ki-67 55-60%; luminal B type

As of March 2023, after 12 total cycles of T-DM1 and modified radical mastectomy, PET-CT showed no metabolically active disease, and she continued endocrine therapy and dialysis.

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Stage IV BRCA Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Langley's Patient Story

Patient Info: Langley Perer, female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: inherited BRCA mutation

Metastatic Site: brain, bones, leptomeninges

After 1 year on a PARP inhibitor, Langley’s metastatic breast cancer remained in check without progression and some lesions had begun to shrink.

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Stage II HER2-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Lanie's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lanie Jones, Female, Under 40 | Stage II

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; Li-Fraumeni syndrome / TP53 mutation; BRCA-negative

As of January 2023, Lanie was living with Li-Fraumeni syndrome after 5 cancer diagnoses and was on lifelong maintenance chemotherapy while advocating for genetic testing and specialized surveillance.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Anna's Patient Story

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

As of 2023, Anna was living with Stage IV breast cancer and receiving treatment that included lumpectomy surgery, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy as her plan.

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Stage II Breast Cancer: Anne's Patient Story

Patient Info: Anne, Female, 50s | Stage II

As of 2023, Anne was receiving/continuing care for Stage II breast cancer after lumpectomy, paclitaxel chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and a targeted-therapy plan reduced to 9 rounds by insurance coverage.

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Stage II Breast Cancer: Rose's Patient Story

Patient Info: Rose | Stage II

Rose remains on radiotherapy, hormone therapy and targeted therapy while continuing to live with concerns about recurrence and metastasis.

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Stage I Breast Cancer: Hu's Patient Story

Patient Info: Hu Jia, Female | Stage I

As of 2023, Hu Jia was in treatment for Stage I breast cancer after choosing a modified plan that excluded lymphadenectomy, while anticipating future medication costs and focusing on diet, art, reflection, and emotional resilience.

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Stage II Breast Cancer: Jamie's Patient Story

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

Jamie was newly diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in 2023 and had not yet started treatment; her plan included mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapy.

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Breast Cancer: Maeve's Patient Story

Patient Info: Maeve

Maeve had undergone lumpectomy, lymph-node surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and targeted therapy and was focused on returning to work and being present for her family.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatment Caused Severe Circulation Problems in Her Fingers and Toes

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

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

The digital ischaemia improved after gemcitabine was stopped, without revascularisation, debridement or amputation, although a small necrotic fingertip area persisted at 3 months. Metastatic breast cancer treatment continued with further systemic lines after progression.

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Stage IV PIK3CA Breast Cancer: Abigail's Patient Story

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

Biomarkers: Hormone-positive breast cancer with PIK3CA mutation and germline ATM mutation; later PD-L1 somatic change reported. HER2 not stated.

Metastatic Site: Bone, including femurs, spine, and humeri; later liver

As of October 2022, Abigail was living with Stage IV hormone-positive metastatic breast cancer after years of treatment, bone-dominant disease that later involved the liver, targeted therapies, genomic testing, and advocacy around clinical trials and patient research participation.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer Reclassified After NTRK Fusion Testing

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ETV6-NTRK3 fusion detected in tissue but not circulating tumor DNA; ER low-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative; PD-L1-negative; germline CHEK2 variant of uncertain significance

Metastatic Site: lungs and pleura; hilar, mediastinal and retrocaval…

After tissue testing identified an ETV6-NTRK3 fusion, treatment with larotrectinib produced a rapid clinical and radiological response.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Lianne's Patient Story

Patient Info: Lianne Kraemer, female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: brain

Six years after brain metastases were diagnosed, Lianne remained in active follow-up with scans and treatment decisions every 8 weeks while living with metastatic breast cancer.

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Cancer in Accessory Breast Tissue Under Both Arms in a Man

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male

Biomarkers: Left tumor: HER2-positive by gene amplification; ER-negative; PR-negative; Ki-67 70%; p53 staining 80%

After surgery removed both accessory-breast cancers, he continued with adjuvant paclitaxel, trastuzumab and radiation.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Fleur's Patient Story

Patient Info: Fleur Profinet, Female, 40s | Stage IV

As of May 2022, Fleur was living with metastatic breast cancer; she said chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and hormone therapy had made her metastases “sleep,” while fatigue, pain, and mood changes continued.

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