What happened, in summary

Lisa J. Frank was first diagnosed with breast cancer at age 36 and later developed Stage IV disease that spread to her brain. She had whole-brain radiation, but 6 months later an MRI showed about 26 small brain tumors again. Faced with difficult options, Lisa used professional and patient-network contacts to find specialists with experience treating extensive brain metastases. She underwent Gamma Knife radiosurgery, with more than 100 small tumors treated over time. She then contacted Dana-Farber about a clinical trial for metastatic breast cancer involving the brain. A remaining 1.1-centimeter tumor allowed her to qualify for the ARRY-380 trial. Lisa began traveling from New Jersey to Dana-Farber every 3 weeks for study treatment. Her story also reflects the complexity of living with several cancers over the years, but the breast-cancer record remains focused on her metastatic brain disease. Lisa describes self-advocacy, asking for help, and continuing active treatment as central to living with Stage IV breast cancer.