What happened, in summary

During a September bicycling trip, an unnamed patient felt a sudden stabbing pain in the right breast. A biopsy of the painful lump showed Stage II, high-grade, triple-positive breast cancer. The diagnosis was unexpected despite annual mammograms and a healthy lifestyle.

After additional testing at UT MD Anderson, the breast cancer team recommended a Phase II clinical trial combining the HER2-targeted bispecific antibody zanidatamab with endocrine therapy. The patient chose to participate. Scans soon after the second infusion showed a strong response, and the breast lump became progressively harder to feel until it was no longer detectable.

By the end of the clinical trial, the breast was clear enough for the patient to have a lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy. The surgical pathology showed a complete pathological response, with no residual cancer in the breast or lymph nodes. The experience also strengthened the patient’s support for cancer research and clinical trials. Having previously supported her husband Brian through melanoma, the patient and her husband later chose to support cancer research together.