Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Anne's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Anne Keane was diagnosed in 2016 after pain in her sternum led to testing that found HER2-positive breast cancer already involving her bones and liver. She was a young mother, and learning that the disease was metastatic and incurable was devastating. At 42, she was still working full-time, raising her daughter Ruby, and trying to make room for an active life around ongoing treatment. Anne responded well to her first chemotherapy regimen. Her first-line therapy also included the HER2-targeted antibodies Herceptin and pertuzumab. The treatment worked far longer than expected, and she remained on the same HER2-targeted approach for 6 years with what her oncologist called an extraordinary response. Support from her care team and from other young people living with metastatic breast cancer helped Anne move beyond the early emotional fog of diagnosis. She returned to swimming and running and continued balancing treatment with work and parenting. In October 2021, she ran the Boston Marathon to raise money for cancer research. Her approach to metastatic breast cancer became centered on continuing to live fully while staying engaged with long-term treatment.