r/cancer Jul 11 '25

Patient They gave me 1-2 years

I’m devastated. In 2023 I finished treatment for stage 3 breast cancer. I did everything: double mastectomy, radiation, chemo, etc.

Today I found out it’s in my bones, liver, and lungs.

I have an 8 month old baby girl.

I can’t believe this.

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u/Rude_Meet2799 Jul 12 '25

Dana Farber did a genetic analysis of biopsy tissue taken in my home state. They found a weak spot in the genetic code and designed chemo/immunotherapy to exploit that weakness. Medicare paid for it

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u/billyvnilly pathologist-Not medical advice, only opinions Jul 12 '25

Every commercial can do that these days. I'm hopeful that OP has already had next generation sequencing and additional tests for her stage 4 disease.

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u/Crazy_Tourist_7817 Jul 12 '25

You’re absolutely right that next generation sequencing (NGS) is becoming more common and valuable. I’d just add that in cases like this, especially with stage 3 or 4 disease, a full whole genome or exome sequencing (WGS or WES) can sometimes reveal vulnerabilities that standard NGS panels miss. Even if nothing actionable is found today, the data can be reanalyzed as research advances. There is a very real chance that within the next year, a new therapeutic target or mutation specific treatment could emerge based on findings from broader sequencing. It is not just about helping future patients… it can make a real difference for current ones too.

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u/MysteriousSet521 Jul 14 '25

Are you talking about the GALLERI genetic testing for cancer?