Stage IV HER2-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Dee's Patient Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Subtype
- Invasive Ductal Carcinoma
- Biomarkers
- Hormone-sensitive disease implied by letrozole and ovarian suppression; ER/PR/HER2 status not explicitly stated
- Sex
- Female
- Spread to
- bone
- Treatment
- chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, targeted therapy and hormone therapy
- Outcome
- Living With Cancer
Treatment course, step by step
- Initial Stage III left breast cancer was treated with AC/Red Devil chemotherapy followed by Taxol
- Then she had bilateral mastectomy with axillary clearance
- Radiotherapy followed surgery
- After bone metastasis was found, treatment restarted with ovarian suppression, letrozole, and ribociclib/Kisqali.
What happened, in summary
Dee Doherty was first diagnosed at age 31 with Stage III invasive ductal carcinoma and extensive DCIS in her left breast. Her early signs included trouble producing milk on the left side while breastfeeding, then breast pain and a growing lumpy area. Because she was under 35, she struggled to get urgent breast imaging. A private ultrasound finally led to the workup that confirmed breast cancer.
Her initial treatment was neoadjuvant chemotherapy with AC, often called the Red Devil, followed by Taxol. She then had a bilateral mastectomy and axillary clearance, with all lymph nodes removed from under her arm. Surgery showed the cancer was more aggressive than first thought, with higher grade disease and no clear margins, so she went on to radiotherapy. After active treatment ended, she struggled with identity, PTSD, and the loss of fertility plans.
Later, while planning to temporarily pause hormonal treatment to try for another baby, a CT scan showed a bone lesion. Dee was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. She restarted ovarian suppression and anti-hormonal treatment, and added the oral targeted therapy ribociclib/Kisqali with letrozole. As of September 2024, her tumors had not shrunk, but they were stable. She described working, parenting, and living a full life while managing metastatic breast cancer.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by The Patient Story. 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