Stage IV HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Amy's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Amy was 48 when she noticed that her left nipple had become inverted. She had also been unusually tired, had sore breasts, and was experiencing severe back pain, but the nipple change was what prompted her to seek care. Her first mammogram was followed by ultrasound and biopsy, which found tumors in both breasts. She learned that she had invasive lobular carcinoma that was estrogen-receptor positive, progesterone-receptor positive, and HER2-negative. BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing was negative.

The cancer was initially described as Stage I. Amy underwent a bilateral mastectomy in mid-January 2023, and the lymph nodes examined during surgery appeared clear. Further review the following week found cancer in lymph nodes, and a PET scan showed several lesions in her bones. Within months of the first diagnosis, she learned that the disease was Stage IV.

The rapid change from an apparently early-stage diagnosis to metastatic breast cancer was difficult to absorb. Amy used humor during stressful procedures and tried to keep the people caring for her at ease, even while feeling shocked and frightened. She came to view the metastatic diagnosis not as the end of her story, but as the beginning of life with Stage IV breast cancer.