Donna Peach

After a diagnosis of breast cancer in 2004, in January 2009 my doctors found my breast cancer had metastasized to my bone. My primary was ER/PR /HER2-; my mets tested triple negative. After diagnosis came spine surgery, followed by radiation, chemo and continuous treatment. During the course of my treatment my oncologist believed the testing for molecular biomarkers might have been incorrect and put me on hormonal treatment. Almost two years of successful treatment on Faslodex confirmed that my mets are indeed ER positive, like my primary. I explain all of this in my blog. Metastatic breast cancer is stage 4; there is no stage 5. People ask, When will your treatment end; some days I just say: never, and leave it at that. With Marvin's amazing support, dancing and writing I will continue to thrive and live beyond the statistical projections, which I prefer to ignore. Although statistics project about three years' survival for stage 4, a number of women survive six to ten years and a handful more than ten. I continue to make plans for a life at least that long and hope that the National Breast Cancer Coalition will fulfill its goal to end cancer in 2020.