Stage IV Breast Cancer: Kirby's Patient Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Biomarkers
- ER-positive|PR-positive|HER2-negative
- Sex
- Male
- Spread to
- lung|spine
- Treatment
- surgery, hormone therapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy
- Outcome
- Stable Disease
Treatment course, step by step
- He underwent left mastectomy with removal of several lymph nodes, which were cancer-free.
- He took tamoxifen but stopped it because of markedly elevated triglycerides.
- After metastatic tumors were found in the lungs and spine in 2016, he received chemotherapy and several subsequent treatments.
- He later received fulvestrant and zoledronic acid for bone strengthening.
- Palbociclib was added to fulvestrant in January 2019.
- His most recent scans showed the lung tumor was stable with no progression.
What happened, in summary
Kirby Lewis first felt a breast lump after months of coughing and was initially told that men do not get breast cancer. After transferring his care to a VA hospital, an open biopsy confirmed ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. He was diagnosed with Stage II disease in April 2012.
Kirby underwent removal of his left breast and several lymph nodes, which were free of cancer. He also took tamoxifen, but stopped it after it caused a major rise in his triglycerides. For about 4 years, life was relatively stable. In April 2016, imaging found tumors in his lungs, and additional scans and biopsies found tumors in his spine. The breast cancer was now metastatic.
He began chemotherapy immediately. After about 3 months, the tumors had shrunk somewhat. Several other treatments caused severe side effects and had to be changed. By November 2016, scans showed no evidence of disease, but a small tumor returned in his right lung in August 2018.
Kirby later received fulvestrant, with palbociclib added in January 2019. His most recent scans showed the lung tumor was stable without progression. He continued working and became an advocate for awareness of male breast cancer.
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