Women with metastatic breast cancer share stories to help others l GMA

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On Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day, attention turns to the thousands of women living with advanced breast cancer and the urgent need for awareness, research, and support. According to the American Cancer Society, around 164,000 women in the United States are currently living with metastatic breast cancer. The prognosis can be difficult, with a five-year relative survival rate of less than one-third. Despite these challenges, many women are sharing their stories to inspire hope and help others facing similar diagnoses.

Kansas City native Amanda Quick was 29 years old and living her dream life in New York City when she first noticed something unusual in the spring of 2021. She felt what seemed like a swollen lymph node under her left armpit but initially dismissed it. Months later, when the lump became larger and harder, she sought medical attention. After undergoing a sonogram, mammogram, and biopsy, she was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer, meaning the disease had already spread to other parts of her body. Processing the diagnosis was overwhelming, and for some time she struggled with denial. Amanda began hormone therapy along with targeted treatment and monthly injections, though treatment days remain emotionally challenging as the reality of her condition resurfaces.

The American Cancer Society estimates that about six percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer each year are already at stage IV. In 2016, 36-year-old new mother Ann Keane experienced a similar shock. While exercising, she noticed pain along her sternum and assumed it was related to fitness or strain. When the pain persisted and she later noticed dimpling in her breast, medical testing revealed metastatic breast cancer that had already spread to her bones, lymph nodes, and liver. The sternum pain she felt was caused by cancer in her bones. She began chemotherapy, which also led to early menopause, something she never imagined could happen at such a young age.

Stage IV breast cancer is generally considered incurable, and treatment is typically focused on slowing the spread of cancer, managing symptoms, and improving quality of life. Experts emphasize that care is not only about survival statistics but also about how patients live each day with purpose and meaning.

New research continues to offer hope. About 55 percent of metastatic breast cancer patients have a newer classification known as HER2-low breast cancer. A targeted treatment called Enhertu (T-DXd) has shown promising results, slowing cancer progression and improving survival rates by approximately 35 percent in clinical trials. Emerging technologies, including advanced blood testing, may also change how cancer is diagnosed and monitored in the future.

Six years after her diagnosis, Ann, now 42, is living an active and fulfilling life. She works full-time, exercises regularly, and enjoys everyday moments with her daughter—milestones she once feared she would never see. She is even training to run the Boston Marathon again to raise funds for cancer research. Amanda Quick has also turned her diagnosis into a source of encouragement for others, sharing her journey to help those navigating similar battles. She believes that every day is a gift and hopes her story can provide strength to someone facing difficult moments.

Beyond medical challenges, many metastatic breast cancer patients also face significant financial burdens. A bipartisan bill aimed at removing waiting periods for access to Social Security disability benefits and Medicare could provide crucial support, though its future remains uncertain.

Despite the seriousness of metastatic breast cancer, patients and advocates continue working to raise awareness and promote research. Advances in treatment are allowing many women to live longer, fuller lives, proving that even with metastatic breast cancer, it is possible to live with strength, resilience, and hope every day.