Skip to main content

Patient Support Line 1-800-282-7630, Monday – Friday: 9 AM – 5 PM ET

Understanding HR+, HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer
About Metastatic Breast Cancer

There are multiple stages of breast cancer, ranging from 0–4. When breast cancer progresses to stage 3 or 4, it becomes advanced breast cancer. In stage 3 breast cancer, the cancer has not yet spread to distant sites throughout the body, but it has spread beyond the breast and into nearby lymph nodes and muscles.

Stage 4 is when breast cancer has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes to other parts of the body. This is also called metastatic or advanced breast cancer. It’s important to note that regardless of where breast cancer is found in the body, it’s still breast cancer, and should not be considered as any other type of cancer. Breast cancer can metastasize in any part of the body, but it most commonly spreads to the bones, lungs, liver, or the brain.

While there is no cure for metastatic breast cancer, there are medicines available that can help slow the growth and spread of breast cancer tumors for both younger and older women. And some clinical trial data is showing that women are also living longer with metastatic breast cancer. Although a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis means that treatment will now be a part of your daily life, you do have options when it comes to managing your condition.

Facts About Metastatic Breast Cancer:

For premenopausal women:

  • It is estimated that as of January 2017, more than 20,000 women with mBC in the United States were younger than 50

  • The frequency of metastatic breast cancer in women under 40 years old has increased over the last 30 years

  • Nearly 80% of young women diagnosed with breast cancer find abnormal changes in their breast themselves

For postmenopausal women:

  • Metastatic breast cancer can occur 5, 10, or even 15 years after an early-stage diagnosis

  • 61 is the average age women are diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer

Types of Metastatic Breast Cancer

There’s more than one type of metastatic breast cancer. Each type is determined by whether or not certain proteins are found on or in cancer cells. 

Hormone receptors (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) are proteins that can help mBC grow.  

A plus sign (+) following the protein means that the proteins were found in your cancer cells, and a minus sign (-) means there was either a small amount of the protein or none at all.

Some Subtypes Are More Common Than Others
Image showing that HR+, HER2- impacts 69% of all people with mBC. 10% of all people with mBC have HR+, HER2+, 10% have HR-, HER2-, 4% have HR-, HER2+ and 7% have other.

HR+, HER2- (hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative) is the most common type of breast cancer, affecting approximately 69% of all people with metastatic breast cancer. HR+ breast cancer can also be referred to as ER+ (estrogen receptor-positive) or PR+ (progesterone receptor-positive).

Knowing your type is very important, and will help your doctor determine the treatment approach that’s right for you.

HR+, HER2- mBC Is Fueled by the Hormone Estrogen

Important Safety Information

What is the most important information I should know about KISQALI ?

KISQALI may cause serious side effects, including:

Lung problems. KISQALI may cause severe or life-threatening inflammation of the lungs during treatment that may lead to death. Tell your health care provider right away if you have any new or...

Indications

KISQALI is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer that has gotten worse or has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic), in combination with:

  • an aromatase inhibitor as the first endocrine-based therapy; or...
Click or scroll to see IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND APPROVED USE