Stage IV Breast Cancer: Bethany's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Bethany was 34 when she was first diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer. After treatment, she reached remission and was told she was cancer-free. She made major life changes afterward, including separating from her husband, moving to Colorado, and starting a new relationship. Later, persistent lower back pain became too severe to ignore. She repeatedly asked whether she needed imaging, but it took a spine specialist and a lower back MRI to reveal lesions throughout her bones. A PET scan showed that the cancer had returned as Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, with spread to her bones, liver, lymph nodes, and stomach. Bethany had to adjust from thinking cancer was behind her to accepting treatment as part of life. She went back on chemotherapy, and 2 new chemotherapy drugs worked well, shrinking the disease. She then moved to a maintenance plan that included a monthly infusion, Zometa, a hormone therapy shot, a daily hormone therapy pill, and Ibrance on a 3-weeks-on, 1-week-off schedule. As of June 2026, Bethany was living with metastatic breast cancer, getting scans every 3 months, and describing her scans as phenomenal, with cancer areas shrinking or disappearing while she continued to live actively and share her story.