Judy Perkins went from a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis to being nearly a decade disease-free, thanks to the bold science that has since gone on to transform breast cancer care. A force of nature in every sense of the word, Judy now uses her experience to advocate for patients and researchers alike —working to ensure that others, too, may have decades restored.
Facing a Stage 4 Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Judy was first diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in 2003, at just 37 years old. A decade later, the cancer returned more aggressively as stage 4 metastatic disease, and with it came limited treatment options. Her children were in high school, and her margin of hope narrowed to one goal: seeing them graduate.
Discouraged but resilient, Judy refused to be passive in the face of her diagnosis. She educated herself about the disease taking up space in her life and the accelerating research landscape surrounding it – searching for anything that might offer another option.
Through multiple failed treatments and clinical trials, Judy remained metastatic for two and a half years. She feared that the end was approaching.
“I was getting prepared for death,” she said. “I had gotten through the stages of grief.”
Discovering Immunotherapy
In the summer of 2015, while struggling to tolerate her latest treatment, Judy pushed herself to attend Project LEAD®, the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s intensive advocacy training program. There, she met physician-scientists who introduced her to an immunotherapy clinical trial that would eventually change everything.
The trial tested a personalized cancer vaccine using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs)—immune cells extracted from a patient’s tumor, engineered and expanded in the lab, then reinfused to attack the cancer. Judy recognized immediately that she might be a candidate.
She became her own best advocate — and in August 2015, secured a spot in the trial.
The process took months. While her T cells were being engineered, Judy underwent another treatment that failed. By the time her cells were ready to be reinfused in December 2015, six tumors had spread throughout her liver.
Then came the wait.
By March 2016, scans showed her tumors had shrunk by 60 percent.
“They were all excited, dancing in the hall,” Judy recalled. “And I thought, this is not good news—that means there’s 40 percent left to come back!”
But her doctors reassured her. This kind of response meant the tumors would continue shrinking.
By May 2016, Judy Perkins became the first metastatic breast cancer patient declared cancer-free following TIL immunotherapy.
She remains disease-free to this day — without any additional treatment. The immunotherapy was so effective that it not only rid Judy of her cancer but has kept it from coming back for a decade. In her own words, she has “settled back into regular life” thanks to the transformative power of immunotherapy.
Active and Advocating
Judy didn’t just survive. She took back the life cancer tried to steal.
For her 60th birthday, she completed the Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Challenge – paddling 250 miles in a week and becoming the first woman to ever finish the course.
This birthday adventure was a physical testament to what once-impossible science had made possible.
When she’s not pushing herself outdoors, Judy is a tireless advocate with the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) and a passionate supporter of cancer research. Through NBCC, she has reviewed grants for the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, supported Project LEAD®, and leveraged her experience as what she calls a “cancer winner” to accelerate her impact.
Just as importantly, Judy understands the realities of scientific research — the uncertainty, the risk, and the persistence required to move the field forward.
“It takes so many failures to have a success,” she said. “Research is not for the faint of heart. Scientists are in there swinging for the fences every day.”
Judy now travels to scientific conferences, engaging directly with researchers, learning about what’s next, and helping bridge the gap between patients and science. She is also a vocal advocate for sustained research funding — especially for early-career scientists.
“We have to fund early-stage researchers who are learning,” she emphasized. “And really find those juice projects that have a lot of promise.”
Judy is clear-eyed about the complexity of progress—but she is also living evidence of what’s possible.
“I’m proof of concept that it can work magically,” she said. “I would love to see another big breakthrough.”
