A diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer brings with it many questions. First and foremost: what is metastatic breast cancer? It is a serious diagnosis which implies invasive breast cancer that has spread from the breast to other parts of the body. It is also known as secondary breast cancer or advanced breast cancer.

How does it occur? In some women with breast cancer, the cancer cells break away from the breast. They can spread to other parts of the body in blood vessels or in lymphatic vessels. They then form a new cancer deposit.

When does it occur? It can happen before or after treatment for breast cancer. There are no real answers to this question.

The most common places that breast cancer spreads to are the bones, liver, lungs and brain. However, having metastatic breast cancer does not mean that all of these places will be affected.

What are the symptoms of this disease? The answer to this question is varied because every woman’s experience of metastatic breast cancer is different. Symptoms depend on what part of the body is affected and they may develop over the course of weeks or months.

These are some of the most common. If the breast cancer spreads to the bone, one of the first symptoms is usually a constant ache or pain in the bone. The pain can get worse during movement and some patients have found that it makes it difficult to sleep at night.

If it spreads to the liver, symptoms can include weight loss, lack of energy and discomfort on the right side of the abdomen. Some women have also complained of feeling sick and losing their appetite while others have developed jaundice or a swollen abdomen due to a build-up of fluid.

Finally, if it spreads to the brain, symptoms can include a constant headache, nausea and vomiting. Cancer in the brain can also lead to seizures.

These symptoms are serious and the diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer is undoubtedly going to come as a huge shock. However, there are treatments available.

There are actually quite a range of treatments but it must be admitted that what suits one woman may not be right for another. Often, several options must be tested before finding one that the cancer responds to.

The aim of the treatment is to control the growth and spread of the cancer, to relieve the symptoms and to improve or at least maintain the quality of life. The treatments chosen will depend on which are most likely to control the disease and the particular side effects of the specific drugs.

Typically, treatment involves hormonal therapy, chemotherapy or biological therapy. These may be administered separately or they may be administered in combination.

Hormonal therapies are usually recommended as the first treatment for women who have hormone receptors on their breast cancer cells. This therapy can slow or stop the growth of the cancer. It may even make it smaller and it also relieves symptoms.

if the particular cancer does not have hormone receptors or if it is growing too quickly, hormone therapy may not be adequate. In this case, chemotherapy is often used.

Chemotherapy is also effective in stopping the growth and spread of cancer and in improving the quality of life. Its benefits can last for years.

Biological therapies are drugs that stop the growth of particular types of cancer. They are only suitable for some women and are usually used in conjunction with other treatments.

Finally, there are two other options. Radiotherapy can be used to reduce the size of secondary breast cancers in some parts of the body. It is also effective in relieving pain.

Last of all is surgery. It’s not routinely used in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer but it may have a role for some women as a way of controlling the disease or reducing the symptoms in certain parts of the body.

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