Stage IV BRCA Breast Cancer: Maralee's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Maralee Lellio was 28 when she noticed a breast lump in 2018. A first evaluation called it a benign fibroadenoma, but the lump grew and became painful. Further mammogram and biopsy showed Stage II breast cancer. Before treatment, Maralee and her husband froze embryos because they hoped to have another child. She then received chemotherapy and had a bilateral mastectomy. After doing well for a time, Maralee developed severe headaches and dizziness. When the symptoms worsened during an attempted IVF process, emergency imaging found a brain tumor. The tumor was removed near home, and additional testing showed the breast cancer had progressed to Stage IV with brain involvement. At Cleveland Clinic, doctors found the tumor was growing back faster than expected and recommended 5 rounds of partial-brain radiation. The tumor responded well. Maralee then started a PARP inhibitor, an oral treatment especially relevant because she has a BRCA mutation. She reported no evidence of active disease after starting it. After 2 years on the PARP inhibitor, she stopped the medication to pursue pregnancy, with careful medical support after a year without brain recurrence. As of May 2026, Maralee had welcomed her second daughter naturally and was living with no evidence of active disease after metastatic breast cancer.