Ten Years in Remission: The Long-Term Journey of a Breast Cancer Survivor

Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) remains a challenging clinical entity, with long-term remission being rare. We report the case of a 51-year-old woman diagnosed in 2009 with HER2-positive, hormone receptor-positive invasive carcinoma of the right breast with extensive hepatic metastases. Following multimodal treatment, including surgery, multiple lines of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and hormonal therapy, she achieved complete remission of metastatic disease in 2016 and remained disease-free until her death in 2025. Her clinical course was later complicated by the development of a second primary gastric adenocarcinoma in 2024, as well as treatment-related hepatic toxicity. This case illustrates that, in selected patients, prolonged remission can be achieved through a multidisciplinary, personalized treatment strategy and personalized approach. At the same time, it underscores the critical importance of long-term surveillance for secondary malignancies and late treatment-related adverse effects.

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Publication Details

Journal
Cureus
Published
2025-12-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.98291
Primary Topic
Metastasis and carcinoma case studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Ten Years in Remission: The Long-Term Journey of a Breast Cancer Survivor

Sérgio Viana Peixoto, Raquel Basto, Enrique Dias
Cureus
Metastasis and carcinoma case studies
article

Ten Years in Remission: The Long-Term Journey of a Breast Cancer Survivor

Sérgio Viana Peixoto, Raquel Basto, Enrique Dias
article en

Abstract

Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) remains a challenging clinical entity, with long-term remission being rare. We report the case of a 51-year-old woman diagnosed in 2009 with HER2-positive, hormone receptor-positive invasive carcinoma of the right breast with extensive hepatic metastases. Following multimodal treatment, including surgery, multiple lines of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and hormonal therapy, she achieved complete remission of metastatic disease in 2016 and remained disease-free until her death in 2025. Her clinical course was later complicated by the development of a second primary gastric adenocarcinoma in 2024, as well as treatment-related hepatic toxicity. This case illustrates that, in selected patients, prolonged remission can be achieved through a multidisciplinary, personalized treatment strategy and personalized approach. At the same time, it underscores the critical importance of long-term surveillance for secondary malignancies and late treatment-related adverse effects.

CureusVol. 17(12)
Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia (PT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 44%
Metastasis and carcinoma case studies
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