T-DM1: 18 Real Stories

HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Toni's Patient Story

Patient Info: Toni S, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: ER-positive or PR-positive; HER2-positive; triple-positive breast cancer

Toni completed chemotherapy, surgery, Kadcyla, and radiation for triple-positive breast cancer with lymph-node involvement and continued anastrozole to suppress estrogen.

BreastCancer.org (ES)Read more →

Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Tiffany's Patient Story

Patient Info: Tiffany Andrews, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; ER-negative at recurrence

Metastatic Site: lungs|brain

Tiffany is living with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer and continues treatment through a clinical trial after progression in the lungs and brain.

MD AndersonRead more →

Hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive breast cancer treatment interrupted by vaginal cuff dehiscence and bowel evisceration

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+ | Stage III

Biomarkers: Hormone receptor-positive; HER2-positive

At 21 months after emergency repair, she was symptom-free with POP-Q stage 0; letrozole continued and T-DM1 was resumed 7 weeks after discharge, but long-term cancer response was not detailed.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV HER2-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Renee's Patient Story

Patient Info: Renee N., Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: Brain

As of June 2026, Renee’s public story described living with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer as a chronic illness, after brain radiation and while on Kadcyla every 3 weeks with stable scans reported in December 2019 and early March 2020.

The Patient StoryRead more →

HER2-positive breast cancer: brain recurrence, T-DXd liver injury, and later progression

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; hormone receptor-negative; grade 3 infiltrative breast carcinoma

Metastatic Site: brain; thoracic lymph nodes

As of October 2025, the patient had developed brain and thoracic nodal recurrence after HER2-directed treatment, experienced T-DXd-associated liver injury, progressed after later paclitaxel/trastuzumab, and died at home in December 2024 under palliative care.

PubMed CentralRead more →

HER2-positive Stage IV breast cancer: T-DM1 extravasation wound healed after multidisciplinary care

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER 90% positive; PR 70% positive; HER2 IHC 3+

Metastatic Site: pelvis

As of October 2025, the T-DM1 extravasation wound had almost fully healed within about 4 weeks, and the patient continued adjuvant T-DM1 through a port; longer cancer-control status was not described.

PubMed CentralRead more →

HER2-positive breast cancer with metastatic recurrence and complete response to T-DM1

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2 IHC 3+ and hormone receptor-negative in primary and metastatic breast cancer; no liver metastases seen.

Metastatic Site: major pectoralis muscle, lung, broncho-hilar lymph…

After complete radiologic response on T-DM1, treatment was stopped after 22 months because of porto-sinusoidal vascular disorder. Seven months later, she remained asymptomatic and under surveillance with no signs of recurrent disease.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Jennifer's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Jennifer Masters, Female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: Chest wall/skin near surgery incision; lymph nodes

As of May 2025, Jennifer had no reported recurrence for several years after Stage IV HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer responded completely to clinical-trial treatment with T-DM1 and neratinib; she continued annual Cleveland Clinic visits and remained active with family and volunteering.

Cleveland ClinicRead more →

HER2-positive breast cancer: surgery after neoadjuvant therapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s | Stage I

Biomarkers: ER 1% weakly positive; PR-negative; HER2-positive

No evidence of disease on follow-up while taking anastrozole after pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant T-DM1, lumpectomy/SLNB, radiotherapy, and adjuvant trastuzumab for Stage I HER2-positive breast cancer.

PubMed CentralRead more →

HER2-positive Stage I breast cancer: residual microinvasion after neoadjuvant T-DM1

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+ | Stage I

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-positive

No evidence of disease on follow-up after neoadjuvant T-DM1, lumpectomy/SLNB showing only residual microinvasion/DCIS, continued adjuvant T-DM1 to 17 total cycles, and 52.5 Gy radiotherapy.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Treatment-Related Telangiectasias

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; initially ER-negative and PR-negative; metastatic disease weakly ER-positive and PR-negative; germline testing negative

Metastatic Site: left supraclavicular, mediastinal, axillary and…

Living with HER2-positive breast cancer for 9+ years since her 2014 diagnosis, including metastatic disease since 2017. She remained on reduced-dose tucatinib in 2023 while treatment-related telangiectasias improved after dose reduction and electrocautery.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Metastatic breast cancer: three years in remission with T-DM1 (Kadcyla) treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; hormone receptor-positive

Metastatic Site: liver; spine / bone

T-DM1 produced a complete clinical and radiological response after 7 cycles, sustained for 41 months and 60 cycles while treatment continued.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Breast cancer lung metastasis treated with a minimally invasive freezing procedure

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; ER-negative

Metastatic Site: lungs

Follow-up PET/CT at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after cryoablation showed no progression or new lesions without systemic therapy.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Abigail's Patient Story

Patient Info: Abigail Myers, female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-positive

Metastatic Site: bones, brain

Abigail continued living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer after about 8 years of multiple treatment lines, including therapy for bone and brain metastases.

Dana-FarberRead more →

HER2-positive breast cancer on hemodialysis: partial response to T-DM1 then no metabolically active disease

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s | Stage II

Biomarkers: Hormone receptor-positive; HER2/neu-positive; E-cadherin-positive; Ki-67 55-60%; luminal B type

As of March 2023, after 12 total cycles of T-DM1 and modified radical mastectomy, PET-CT showed no metabolically active disease, and she continued endocrine therapy and dialysis.

PubMed CentralRead more →

HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Jane's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Jane Dennington, Female, 60s

Biomarkers: HER2-positive breast cancer

As of January 2019, Jane was cancer-free for almost 5 years after HER2-positive breast cancer treatment with chemotherapy, Herceptin, surgery and Kadcyla through the KATHERINE clinical trial.

Cleveland ClinicRead more →

Stage IV ERBB2-Mutated Lung Adenocarcinoma With Brain Metastases and Multiple Targeted Therapies

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ERBB2 exon 20 insertion, exact sequence not specified. ERBB2 copy-number gain was identified during progression on afatinib.

Metastatic Site: brain, adrenal gland, liver

The final documented afatinib plus bevacizumab rechallenge produced a mixed response followed by liver progression after 3 months.

PubMed CentralRead more →

Stage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Sarah's Patient Story

Patient Info: Sarah, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: HER2-positive; BRCA and other known hereditary breast cancer genes not identified in family history discussion

As of January 2017, Sarah had been living for almost 3 years with recurrent Stage IV HER2-positive breast cancer and was receiving Kadcyla every 3 weeks.

YouTube — Oncology AssociatesRead more →