Stage IV Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Allison's Patient Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Subtype
- Invasive Ductal Carcinoma
- Sex
- female
- Spread to
- bones (neck, spine, hip, ribs), lungs
- Treatment
- surgery and radiation
- Outcome
- Stable Disease
Treatment course, step by step
- She underwent a right mastectomy with reconstruction.
- She underwent a left lumpectomy.
- She then received 6 weeks of radiation.
- After metastatic recurrence in 2019, she underwent neck surgery.
- She then began daily oral cancer therapy at home.
What happened, in summary
Allison Rebello was 36 when a mammogram in 2011 showed invasive ductal cancer in her right breast. Further testing also found cancer in the left breast. She underwent a right mastectomy with reconstruction and a left lumpectomy followed by 6 weeks of radiation. Allison remained cancer-free for about 7 and a half years. In March 2019, after she slipped on ice and felt a snap in her neck, imaging revealed a fractured vertebra and showed that the breast cancer had returned. Further scans found metastatic disease involving her neck, spine, hip, ribs, and lungs. She underwent neck surgery and months of physical therapy, then began daily oral cancer therapy at home. By October 2020, at age 45, her cancer was stable and she was feeling well. Allison drew strength from several communities, including her care team, a group of younger women with metastatic breast cancer, and her dragon boat teammates. Even when neck surgery limited her paddling, the team continued to bring her onto the water.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by Dana-Farber. Read the original in full
How we source and attribute stories Accuracy and limitations
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team. Read the full disclaimer