What Does Metastatic Stage-IV Breast Cancer mean?
What is metastatic breast cancer?
Oncologists and breast cancer surgeons say that your cancer has metastasized. It means breast cancer has spread to an area away from the site of its origin (breast). The area to which cancer has spread is called “metastasis” and – if breast cancer has spread to more than one area – the stage of the cancer is known as metastatic breast cancer.
Many women take in their hearts when they are told that they have breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer means cancer has spread to other body parts including the lungs, kidneys, and liver.
Even if you have been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, you should not worry. There is a possibility of slowing down the most advanced type of breast cancer provided you seek treatment from an expert breast cancer specialist surgeon. Many ways in which your doctor can slow down the spread of breast cancer. There will also be a possibility of adding more years to your life.
What is metastatic breast cancer – is treatment available?
You can work with your panel of doctors who are treating you and come to your own terms to manage your life and treatment. Your awareness is a key factor that determines your expectation. However, different types of treatment options are allowing women with metastatic breast cancer to live longer.
How is the treatment for early-stage breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer (stage IV) different?
The treatment for early-stage breast cancer is focused more on removing cancer completely with a short-term goal and providing a cure. However, treatment for stage IV breast cancer becomes a part of the patient’s life and continues as long as the patient survives. The aim of the treatment is to slow down the progress of the disease with less pain and side effects.
Which treatment options work best for metastatic breast cancer?
Breast cancer specialists, breast surgeons, and oncologists recommend treatment based on the symptoms, the type of cancer – and its nature and behavior; the type of treatments that have had undergone in the past; the overall health and age of the patient.
What are common treatments used for metastatic (stage IV) breast cancer?
These common treatments are often used alone or in combination:
Hormone therapy medications can help slow the progress and spread of breast cancer cells if breast cancer is fuelled by estrogen and progesterone. These medicines work by cutting the supply of hormones to cancer cells – thereby starving them to death.
In cases of HER2-positive breast cancers wherein there is an excess amount of HER2 protein, doctors prescribe anti-HER2 targeted treatment and therapies. In the presence of HER2 protein, this type of breast cancer cell grows and spreads rapidly, but anti-HER2 drugs target these proteins and help slow the growth of HER2-positive breast cancer.
Medicines that kill cancer cells are used in chemotherapy. A combination or group of medicines are used together to shrink and kill cancer cells fast. But, when compared to targeted therapy or hormonal therapy, the side effects of chemotherapy are more. The most common side effects of chemotherapy may include discoloration of nails, and skin, loss of hair, nausea or vomiting, and tiredness. Chemotherapy is generally given in cycles. Medical oncologists who prescribe chemotherapy keep a rest period in between chemo cycles to give time for the body to recover. Triple-negative breast cancers usually respond well to chemotherapy.
Breast Cancer Surgery and radiation therapy: if metastatic breast cancer has spread to the liver or lung and is causing the blockage in the liver or lung, surgery followed by radiation therapy help in treating cancer and prevents cancer from spreading to other vital organs.
Palliative care and emotional support that provide comfort to the patient are important. Medications can help in managing the symptoms or complications of cancer and also managing side effects.