Stage IV Breast Cancer: Gynna's Patient Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Sex
- Female
- Spread to
- Bone
- Treatment
- chemotherapy, radiation and radiosurgery
- Outcome
- Responding Well
Treatment course, step by step
- 2017 small breast lump initially not considered concerning
- after COVID infection in January 2021, lump felt larger and different
- biopsy with 7 tissue samples confirmed breast cancer just before her 31st birthday
- scans before chemotherapy showed bone metastases in June 2021
- chemotherapy, transitioning from “red devil” chemotherapy to docetaxel
- radiation therapy and radiosurgery
- June 2025 progression
- partial response by December 2025
- indefinite ongoing treatment.
What happened, in summary
Gynna, who lives in Colombia, first noticed a small breast lump in 2017, but doctors were not initially worried. After she recovered from COVID-19 in January 2021, the lump felt different and much larger. Her doctor sent her for a biopsy, and 7 tissue samples were taken. The result was breast cancer, diagnosed just before her 31st birthday. She was supposed to start chemotherapy in late May 2021, but treatment was delayed when she tested positive for COVID-19 again. During that waiting period, scans changed the picture completely. CT scan, bone scans, and MRI showed that the cancer had already spread to her bones, making it metastatic breast cancer. Gynna’s treatment has changed several times. She received several rounds of chemotherapy, moving from “red devil” chemotherapy to docetaxel, and also had radiation therapy and radiosurgery. In June 2025, testing showed progression, but by December 2025 she had a partial response. As of May 2026, she was still living with metastatic disease and ongoing indefinite treatment, focusing on understanding her care plan, adapting when treatment changes, and drawing support from family, friends, and her boyfriend Diego.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by Susan G. Komen. 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