Stage IV Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Eva's Patient Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Biomarkers
- Triple-negative
- Spread to
- lungs, sternum
- Treatment
- surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy and a clinical trial
- Outcome
- Responding Well
Treatment course, step by step
- In 2002, Eva first had a lumpectomy.
- Because the margins were not clear, she then underwent a mastectomy with sentinel lymph-node removal.
- She received chemotherapy followed by radiation.
- After metastatic recurrence in 2014, she entered a clinical trial and started atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel, remaining on the combination as the lung and sternum tumors shrank.
What happened, in summary
Eva Joseph’s breast cancer journey began in March 2002, when a mammogram found two areas in her left breast. She first had a lumpectomy, but cancer remained at the margins, so she underwent a mastectomy. Cancer was also found in the sentinel lymph node, changing the original diagnosis from Stage II to Stage III. Chemotherapy and radiation followed. Treatment caused severe nausea, fatigue, hair loss, weight gain, and depression, and gardening became an important way for Eva to regain strength.
In 2014, chest tightness and breathing difficulty led to imaging that showed fluid around the lungs. The breast cancer had spread to the lungs, and a bone scan also found tumors in the sternum. Eva was diagnosed with Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer.
She entered a clinical trial combining the immunotherapy atezolizumab with the chemotherapy nab-paclitaxel. After several rounds, scans showed the tumors in her lungs and sternum shrinking. Eva remained on the combination for years. The cancer had not disappeared, but the tumors became very small and treatment was keeping them at bay. She continued to have some nausea but felt well enough to enjoy short trips with her husband.
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