Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Nina's Survivor Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Biomarkers
- HER2-positive; broad hereditary genetic testing negative
- Sex
- Female
- Spread to
- spine
- Treatment
- chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, biologic therapy, hormone therapy and fertility preservation
- Outcome
- Cancer-Free / NED
Treatment course, step by step
- Egg freezing was done before chemotherapy
- Completed 6 months of chemotherapy
- Lumpectomy was chosen instead of mastectomy after chemotherapy response
- Received about 29 or more radiation rounds to the spine and breast
- Ongoing treatment included an infusion every 3 weeks, daily medication, and monthly injections
- Specific drug names were not stated.
What happened, in summary
Nina was 34 when she was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Her first sign was a hard strip under her left armpit, not the small pea-like lump she had been told to watch for. At first, she was reassured because she was young, had dense breast tissue, and had no immediate family history of breast cancer. A year later, the area had grown, and she noticed a dimple in the skin. She pushed for a mammogram.
Imaging showed an abnormal mass in the left breast and armpit, and the BI-RADS score was 5. Nina was first told she had Stage III breast cancer, with extensive lymph-node involvement, including internal mammary nodes. About 2 months later, additional testing showed the cancer had spread to her spine, making it Stage IV. She also learned the cancer was HER2-positive, while broad hereditary genetic testing was negative.
Before chemotherapy, Nina froze her eggs. Treatment included 6 months of chemotherapy, then a lumpectomy instead of the mastectomy first expected because the chemotherapy worked well enough to shrink the cancer. She then received about 29+ rounds of radiation to the spine and breast. As of November 2024, she described being in a no-evidence-of-disease phase, but she still needed ongoing treatment: an infusion every 3 weeks, daily medication, and monthly injections.
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