Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Tiffany's Patient Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Biomarkers
- HER2-positive; ER-negative at recurrence
- Sex
- Female
- Spread to
- lungs|brain
- Treatment
- chemotherapy, targeted therapy, surgery and a clinical trial
- Outcome
- Care Ongoing
Treatment course, step by step
- She completed 6 rounds of chemotherapy with HER2-targeted treatment, then had a mastectomy.
- After cancer returned in her lungs, she received another HER2-targeted chemotherapy combination for 18 months.
- After a brain lesion appeared, she joined a clinical trial using tucatinib and T-DM1.
What happened, in summary
Tiffany Andrews was 35 when a lump in her right breast led to a diagnosis of Stage II breast cancer. Testing showed HER2-positive disease. She began treatment with 6 rounds of chemotherapy combined with HER2-targeted therapy, then underwent a mastectomy. After treatment, she was declared cancer-free and returned for regular surveillance.
In 2022, a routine scan showed that the cancer had returned in her lungs. A new biopsy showed HER2-positive, ER-negative breast cancer. Tiffany received another combination of chemotherapy and HER2-targeted treatment near her home, which controlled the disease for about 18 months. When the cancer progressed and a brain lesion appeared in 2023, she joined a clinical trial at MD Anderson. The trial uses tucatinib with T-DM1, and she continues traveling to Houston for treatment.
The ongoing treatment has caused fatigue, muscle weakness, headaches, and other side effects, but Tiffany remains active and involved with her family. She has adapted her routines around treatment and travel and focuses on spending her time on people and activities that matter most to her. Her care is ongoing for metastatic breast cancer.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by MD Anderson. 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