Stage IV Breast Cancer: Janet's Survivor Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Sex
- Female
- Spread to
- Bone: left iliac bone
- Treatment
- surgery, hormone therapy, targeted therapy and a clinical trial
- Outcome
- Cancer-Free / NED
Treatment course, step by step
- Initial Stage 1 breast cancer with no lymph-node involvement
- surgery
- tamoxifen
- about 4 years later, recurrence in remaining breast tissue
- PET scan and bone biopsy showed metastasis to the left iliac bone
- lumpectomy and bilateral oophorectomy
- phase I clinical trial of palbociclib plus letrozole; bone tumor watched rather than radiated
- no sign of cancer from January 2010 onward while continuing letrozole daily and palbociclib on a 4-week cycle.
What happened, in summary
Janet Klein expected breast cancer might eventually affect her because both her mother and sister had been diagnosed. Careful mammogram surveillance helped catch her first breast cancer at Stage 1, before it had spread. There was no lymph-node involvement, and she had surgery followed by tamoxifen. About 4 years later, while still taking tamoxifen, a screening mammogram found a suspicious area in the small amount of breast tissue left after mastectomy. Biopsy confirmed recurrence. A PET scan and bone biopsy then showed that the cancer had metastasized to her left iliac bone, making it Stage 4 breast cancer. Janet had a lumpectomy and bilateral oophorectomy, then joined a phase I clinical trial using palbociclib with letrozole. The bone tumor was monitored rather than treated with radiation. About 9 months after starting the trial, there was no sign of cancer in her body, and that NED status continued from January 2010 onward. She remained on daily letrozole and cyclical palbociclib as long as they kept the cancer controlled. Janet described excellent quality of life and wanted others to know that Stage 4 breast cancer can sometimes be controlled for years.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by AACR. 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