Angie’s Impact Story: No Longer in the Shadows – Spreading Awareness About Metastatic Breast Cancer

In February 2016, Angie*, then 41-years-old with no prior health issues or family history of breast cancer, was diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer after experiencing back and rib pain. This term refers to breast cancer that has already spread to other parts of the body at the time of initial diagnosis.

The diagnosis was stunning, especially since her most recent mammogram had been clear. Angie's immediate concerns centered around her mortality and the future of her young daughter. Her oncologist initiated treatments to block and suppress the hormones driving the cancer, to which she responded well, maintaining stable disease for nearly seven years.

Seeking support, Angie joined an online group for women with Stage 4 breast cancer, finding solace in shared experiences. In 2023, at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, she discovered ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis and its customized peer support. Encouraged by Executive Director Ellen Friebert Schupper, Angie trained to become a an ABCD Mentor, completing her training in early 2024. By December 2024, she had been matched with 11 Participants, highlighting the significant need for support among metastatic patients.

Angie observes that many breast cancer support groups emphasize curing the disease, which can be isolating for those with Stage 4 cancer, where the focus is on managing the disease. “I think for the metastatic community, we’re kind of more in the shadows and not talked about as much,” Angie says.

Through her experience as an ABCD Mentor, Angie addresses the prevalent fear among Participants by sharing her experiences and offering reassurance, aiming to bring metastatic breast cancer out of the shadows and into broader awareness.

Read Angie’s story about finding - and then giving - support and how she’s living with hope, even when facing the news that her disease has progressed. 

*Name has been changed.