The word “metastatic” refers to cancer that has spread beyond the part of the body where it started. Metastatic Breast Cancer, also called stage IV Breast Cancer, is Breast Cancer that has spread to another part of the body, most commonly the bones, lungs, brain, or liver. Breast Cancer symptoms depend on what area of the body the cells have invaded. Metastatic Breast Cancer may spread to any part of the body. These cancers are considered incurable. Metastatic Breast Cancer is an urgent priority for BCRF researchers as the leading cause of Breast Cancer deaths. Even when cancer spreads to a new organ, it’s still named after its original location.
What is Metastatic Breast Cancer?
The process of cancer spreading is called metastasis. Metastasis happens when cancer cells break away from the original tumor in the breast and travel to other parts of the body. A benign tumor means the tumor can grow but will not spread. A tumor is a mass or collection of these abnormal cells. Metastasis is the process by which cancer cells extend. Even when cancer spreads to a new organ, it’s still named after its original location. While it can be treated with more therapies and drugs now than ever, Breast Cancer metastatic remains incurable. The types of drugs used for stage IV Breast Cancer depend on the hormone receptor status, the HER2 status of the tumor, and sometimes gene mutations that might be found.
Signs of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Symptoms depend on where the cancer has metastasized. signs can vary depending on cancer’s location. Still, signs of metastatic Breast Cancer may include the following:
- Bone pain or bone fractures due to tumor cells spreading to the bones or spinal cord
- Headaches or dizziness when cancer has spread to the brain
- Shortness of breath or chest pain caused by lung cancer
- Jaundice or stomach swelling
The symptoms of Breast Cancer metastasis may also vary depending on where in the body cancer has spread. For Example:
- If the breast or chest wall is affected, symptoms may include pain, nipple discharge, or a lump or thickening in the breast or underarm.
- If cancer has spread to bones, symptoms may include pain, fractures, or decreased alertness due to high calcium levels.
- If cancer has spread to the lungs, symptoms may include shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, coughing, chest pain, or fatigue.
- If cancer has spread to the liver, symptoms may include nausea, fatigue, swelling of the feet and hands, or yellowing skin.
- Suppose cancer has spread to the central nervous system, which includes the brain or spinal cord. In that case, symptoms may include pain, memory loss, headache, blurred or double vision, difficulty with movement, or seizures.
Early signs of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Do you know what are the early signs of Metastatic Breast Cancer are?
A painless lump in the breast is usually the first sign of Breast Cancer, though you may not feel it yourself. Common symptoms of Breast Cancer include:
A lump in your breast or underarm that doesn’t go away. This is often the first symptom of Breast Cancer. Your doctor can usually see a projection on a mammogram long before you can see or feel it. This is an early warning sign of metastatic Breast Cancer.
You are swelling in your armpit or near your collarbone. This could mean Breast Cancer has spread to lymph nodes in that area. Swelling may start before you feel a lump, so let your doctor know if you notice it.
Pain and tenderness, although lumps don’t usually hurt. Some may cause a prickly feeling.
A flat or indented area on your breast. This could happen because of a tumor you can’t see or feel.
Breast changes include a difference in your breast’s size, contour, texture, or temperature.
Changes in your nipple, like one that:
- Pulls inward
- Is dimpled
- Burns
- Itches
- Develops sores
- Unusual nipple discharge. It could be clear, bloody, or another color.
- A marble-like area under your skin that feels different from any other part of either breast.
First signs of Metastatic Breast Cancer
The first signs of metastatic Breast Cancer are written below:
- Back bone, or joint pain that does not go away.
- Difficulty urinating (either incontinence or not being able to go), which can be a sign that the cancer is pinching nerves in your back.
- Numbness or weakness anywhere in your body
- Constant dry cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Chest pain
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal bloating, pain, or tenderness
- Constant nausea, vomiting, or weight loss
- Jaundice (a yellow tinge to the skin and whites of your eyes)
- Severe headaches
- Vision problems (blurry vision, double vision, loss of vision)
- Seizures
- Loss of balance
- Confusion
Red Flag signs of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Different people have different symptoms of Breast Cancer. Some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all. Knowing what red flag signs of metastatic Breast Cancer to watch for is important, but so is learning about breast changes that may be completely normal. Peri recurring breast pain, tenderness, and heaviness are expected throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle. Suppose you experience these feelings in both breasts and are menstruating or about to begin your cycle. In that case, these symptoms are most likely the result of regular, monthly hormonal changes. Cancer will most likely come back in the first two years after treatment. After that period, the risk goes down over time.
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Metastatic Breast Cancer Symptoms
Symptoms depend on where the cancer has metastasized. According to Doctors, common areas include the bones of the spine, the lungs, and the liver. Patients should always speak with a doctor if new signs or symptoms arise. Together, symptoms and signs can help describe the medical problem of symptoms of metastatic Breast Cancer. Symptoms of Breast Cancer that has spread to the bones include:
- Bone pain
- Swelling
- Bone fractures
- Symptoms of breast cancer that has spread to the brain include:
- Headaches
- Pressure in the head
- Seizures
- Vision problems
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of balance
- Problems with speech or memory
- Personality changes
- Symptoms of breast cancer that has spread to the liver include:
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes)
- Itchy skin
- Rash
- Stomach pain
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea or vomiting
- High liver enzymes in the blood
- Symptoms of breast cancer that has spread to the lungs include:
- Difficulty breathing
- A cough that doesn’t go away
- Chest pain
What are Metastatic Breast Cancer Symptoms?
According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, signs and symptoms of Metastatic Breast Cancer depend on the area of the body cancer has affected. Some general problems that could signal disease metastasis include fatigue, poor appetite, weakness, and unexplained weight loss. Cancer cells can invade nearby lymph nodes or blood vessels. The cancer cells travel through the body via lymph vessels or blood vessels. These vessels carry fluid and blood throughout the body. Cancer cells may form small tumors in their new locations.
Early Symptoms of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Symptoms of breast tumors vary from person to person. Some common early symptoms of metastatics Breast Cancer include:
- Skin changes, such as swelling, redness, or other visible differences in one or both breasts
- An increase in size or change in the shape of the breast
- Changes in the appearance of one or both nipples
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk
- General pain in/on any part of the breast
- Lumps or nodes felt on or inside of the breast
End stage Metastatic Breast Cancer Symptoms
The end stage symptoms may eventually stop responding to treatment. This means your care team will shift focus to keeping you comfortable and treating your symptoms. Occurs when cancer spreads from the breast to another part of the body. Symptoms and treatment for this stage of breast cancer are different from those of the earlier stages. Thinking about the end of life can be one of the hardest things anyone can do. But for many people, it can take some pressure off to start thinking about what they want now so that they can focus on what matters the most later.
Symptoms of Metastatic Breast Cancer in Bones
Bone metastasis can occur in any bone but more commonly occurs in the spine, pelvis, and thigh. Bone metastasis may be the first sign that you have cancer, or bone metastasis may occur years after cancer treatment. A bone can function like a storage tank that traps and holds breast cancer cells. For some time, those cells may not cause any problems. Eventually, the cancer cells can hijack the normal, healthy process through which bone tissue regenerates itself.
Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatments
When making treatment plan decisions, you should discuss with your doctor whether clinical trials are an option. Treatments often continues until cancer grows or side effects become unacceptable. Every cancer is unique, and treatment can be tailored to your circumstances. Treatment Metastatic Breast Cancer focuses on extending life and maintaining the quality of life. Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer often is based on systemic therapies, which use drugs rather than surgery or radiation. The goal of treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer is to stop or slow down the growth of the tumor.
Treatments for Metastatic Breast Cancer
Metastatic Breast Cancer is not a specific type of Breast Cancer. It’s the most advanced stage of Breast Cancer. Metastatic Breast Cancer is Breast Cancer that has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes to other parts of the body (most often the bones, lungs, liver, or brain). Best treatments for metastatic Breast Cancer can be done after the diagnosis, it’s helpful to take the time you need to gather as much information as possible. Once you are ready, you can make plans and informed decisions about your treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer care, treatment, and quality of life.
What is the latest Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer?
The FDA has approved a new HER2-targeted therapy for the treatment of metastatic Breast Cancer based on findings from a pivotal clinical trial published in JAMA Oncology. The latest treatment for metastatic Breast Cancer and therapy approaches for Breast Cancer are helping patients live longer and offering new hope. In a recent trial involving patients with HER2-low metastatic Breast Cancer, the medication was shown to slow tumor growth for about ten months, compared with five months in those who received standard chemotherapy. Patients who received trastuzumab Deruxtecan survived for 23.4 months, compared with 16.8 months for women with the same mutation who received standard chemotherapy.
Metastatic Breast Cancer Survival Rate
The 5-year Metastatic Breast Cancer survival for women is 29%. The 5-year survival rate for men with Metastatic Breast Cancer is 22%. It is important to remember that Breast Cancer is treatable at any stage. Because survival rates are higher in the early stages of Breast Cancer, early diagnosis and treatment are crucial. The survival rate for Metastatic Breast Cancer can give you an idea of what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive a certain amount of time (usually five years) after their diagnosis. While earlier-stage Breast Cancer patients tend to have an incredibly high survival rate (up to 99%, per the ACS), people with have a very different numbers game.
Metastatic Breast Cancer Survival Rate by Age
Your risk of developing Breast Cancer increases as you age. According to the NCI, Breast Cancer is most often diagnosed in women ages 65 to 74 years old trusted Source. The median age for women diagnosed with Breast Cancer is 63 years old. Additionally, of the women diagnosed with Breast Cancer in the United States from 2014 to 2018, less than 2 percent of them were under 35 years old.
Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer Survival Rate
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the 5-year survival rate after diagnosis for people with stage 4 Breast Cancer is 28 percent. The stage 4 survival rate is considerably lower than in earlier stages. For all stages, the overall 5-year survival rate is 90 percent.
Triple-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer Survival Rate
Triple-negative Breast Cancer survival rate accounts for 10-15% of all Breast Cancers. Breast Cancer (TNBC) is rare and affects about 13 in 100,000 women annually. Triple-negative Breast Cancer is a particularly devastating subtype of Breast Cancer. It is often diagnosed in young women and is associated with an inferior prognosis. More than 70 percent of Breast Cancers are ER-/PR-positive and rely on estrogen to grow.
In comparison, about 20–25 percent of Breast Cancers are HER2-positive and depend on growth pathways regulated by that protein. With treatment, about 60% of people with this cancer will live disease-free. The five-year survival rate for someone with localized triple-negative breast cancer, cancer that has not spread beyond the breast, is 91 percent (91 percent as likely as someone without cancer to survive during the five years).
HER2 Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer Survival Rate Stage 4
Overexpression of HER2 is enriched in IBC, and those with HER2 positive disease have a relatively favorable prognosis, with improved survival over the last two decades driven by the advent of novel targeted therapies. The fact that the cancer is positive for HER2 will affect your treatment and survival. Around 15-20% of all breast cancers are HER2-positive. It’s more common for younger, pre-menopausal women to be diagnosed with HER2-positive disease. With HER2-positive cases specifically, HER2 genes overproduce HER2 proteins.
Conclusion:
Still, Metastatic Breast Cancer signs may include the following: Bone pain or bone fractures due to tumor cells spreading to the bones or spinal cord Headaches or dizziness when cancer has spread to the brain Shortness of breath or chest pain caused by lung Jaundice or stomach swelling The symptoms of Breast Cancer metastasis may also vary depending on where in the body cancer has spread. Symptoms of Breast Cancer that has spread to the bones include. Bone pain Swelling Bone fractures Symptoms of Breast Cancer that has spread to the brain include: Headaches Pressure in the head Seizures Vision problems Nausea and vomiting Loss of balance Problems with speech or memory Personality changes Symptoms of breast cancer that has spread to the liver include. Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) Itchy skin Rash Stomach pain Loss of appetite Nausea or vomiting High liver enzymes in the blood Symptoms of breast cancer that has spread to the lungs include.
Difficulty breathing A cough that doesnt go away Chest pain What are symptoms? Skin changes, such as swelling, redness, or other visible differences in one or both breasts An increase in size or change in the shape of the breast Changes in the appearance of one or both nipples Nipple discharge other than breast milk General pain inon any part of the breast Lumps or nodes felt on or inside of the breast End stage Symptoms Last-stage breast cancer may eventually stop responding to treatment.
