Stage IV Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Julie's Patient Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Biomarkers
- triple-negative
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- chemotherapy and radiation
- Outcome
- In Memory
Treatment course, step by step
- She received chemotherapy for Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer.
- She then received radiation therapy, which was interrupted when she was hospitalized with COVID-19 for 11 days.
- After recovering, she resumed radiation, but her physician stopped it after the last 3 treatments when new cancer was seen in the treated area.
- Further diagnostic testing was recommended to guide the next treatment.
What happened, in summary
Julie Campbell was living with chronic myelogenous leukemia when a second cancer changed her course. In October 2020, tests showed no leukemia in her blood and her leukemia chemotherapy was stopped. One month later, she was diagnosed with Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer.
Julie began chemotherapy for breast cancer, followed by radiation therapy. Receiving treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic added another layer of risk and anxiety because her immune system was compromised. She limited contact with others, received COVID-19 vaccination when it became available, and tried to protect herself while continuing cancer care.
Julie nevertheless developed COVID-19 while she was receiving radiation. Her oxygen level fell and she was hospitalized for 11 days, forcing a treatment delay. After recovering, she resumed radiation. Her physician later recommended stopping radiation after the last 3 treatments because new signs of cancer appeared in the area being treated. Additional diagnostic testing was recommended to determine the next course of care.
Julie remained focused on her family and advocated for cancer research while navigating both cancer and the pandemic. She died on April 17, 2022.
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