Stage IV Breast Cancer: Liu's Patient Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Treatment
- hormone therapy and targeted therapy
- Outcome
- Living With Cancer
Treatment course, step by step
- Hormone therapy was ongoing.
- Targeted therapy was ongoing.
What happened, in summary
Liu Jing found a breast lump and noticed a change in the shape of her breast before being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in July 2015. Her mother had also died from breast cancer. Despite the seriousness of the diagnosis, Liu Jing tried to remain optimistic and confident. She sought a second opinion to explore more options and continued hormone therapy and targeted therapy. Treatment caused fatigue, hair loss, and itching, which she managed with medication prescribed by her doctors. She also adopted a healthier diet and exercised more often. One of her practical concerns was losing access to medication subsidies. She responded by reminding herself that fear would not change her circumstances and that she needed to face the situation directly. More than eight years after diagnosis, Liu Jing remained working and mobile and still had enough stamina for mountain hiking, an activity she loved. She hoped to learn drawing and painting and to live happily beyond age 60 with her partner. Her experience reflects long-term life with stage 4 breast cancer and ongoing treatment.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by Our Cancer Stories. 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