METASTATIC BREAST CANCER

WHAT IS METASTATIC BREAST CANCER?

Metastatic breast cancer, also known as Stage IV breast cancer, is cancer that has spread outside of the breast to other areas such as the bones, liver, lung or brain. This process is called metastasis.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN BREAST CANCER SPREADS?

Breast cancer that spreads to the bones, lung, or liver, is still breast cancer and does not become bone cancer or liver cancer or lung cancer. Under a microscope, the tumour cells will still look and act like breast cancer and will be treated as breast cancer.

WHO GETS METASTATIC BREAST CANCER?

No one brings metastatic disease on themselves. The sad truth is that anyone who has had an earlier stage of breast cancer can experience a metastatic recurrence and some women have metastatic disease on their initial diagnosis of cancer–despite mammograms and early detection.

WHY DOES BREAST CANCER METASTASIZE?

A cancer recurrence occurs when breast cancer cells reappear in the area around the breast (local or regional recurrence) or in other areas of the body (distant metastasis). For the most part, these are those microscopic tumour cells that presumably ‘escaped’ before a diagnosis and hid, somehow protected, from the systemic therapies received. Then after a long while, conditions change and these cells wake up from their hibernation and begin doubling again.

WHAT IS THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EARLY-STAGE BREAST CANCER AND METASTATIC BREAST CANCER?

Metastatic breast cancer is treatable but no longer curable. Treatment is lifelong and focuses on preventing further spread of the disease and managing symptoms. The goal is for patients to live a good quality of life for as long as possible.

HOW IS METASTATIC BREAST CANCER TREATED?

Depending primarily on the kind or subtype of metastatic breast cancer, patients may be on either targeted therapies or systemic chemotherapy. Radiation and surgery are also sometimes used.