Metastatic breast cancer prognosis

The metastate location must be determined before a prognosis and treatment can be made. Brain, liver, lung and bone and lymph nodes are the places where metastatic breast cancer usually occurs.

Staging

In this particular process the doctors find out whether the breast cancer has infected some other organs. First, the doctors must find out how big the tumor in the breast is and how much the lymph node is involved and after that if the place of the other cancer has been discovered and what is the distance from it to the breast. For instance, cancer in the lymph nodes very close to the collarbone or in brain, lugs and such organs is a stage IV breast cancer.

Significance

A very important thing for all cancer types is, for it to be discovered as early as possible. This is essential for long-term survival. Five-year survival rate chances will significantly diminish form a stage I to a stage IV breast cancer.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis can be made from various tests together with a blood profile. Bone scan, magnetic resonance imaging or MRI, positron emission tomography or PET and computed tomography or CT are some of the tests. They are all used in order for the cancer markers to be found and the extremity of the metastatic breast cancer to be determined.

Treatment

Some researches say that the bones are the place where metastatic breast cancer is found most of the time. Lungs are in the second place and liver after them. Comfort is the thing that every doctor is focused on. The location is not as important as the comfort. Surgical removal of the tumor will most likely be a part of the treatment. A certain type of chemotherapy may be included as well. In order for the tumor to be made lesser in size, radiation therapy may be introduced to the therapy. However, this is done only as a palliative measure.

Warning

It is highly important for a person to look for the signs of metastatic breast cancer. The change in the other parts of a person's body must be noticed. Especially if that person is diagnosed with breast cancer in the first place. This is important in order to prevent the other parts of the body from getting infected. A person should specifically pay attention to such symptoms like pain, swelling and exhaustion for which there is no particular reason. Mental and emotional changes may be the symptoms as well.

Period between relapses

This type of cancer may appear time after time. A good thing is when a lot of time passes since the treatment and the cancer has not reappeared. Recurring cancer only shows that the prognosis was wrong and it significantly lowers the chances of survival.