Talk with your healthcare provider about your feelings of depression, even if you believe these feelings are normal given your situation. It does not mean that you have lost hope that you will be one of the people who live for decades with stage 4 breast cancer. If one therapy isnt working for you for whatever reason, there is usually another one you can try. These include: Earlier or more frequent screening for liver metastasis may help improve outlook because a doctor may find the tumor sooner. MBC is a late stage of cancer that starts in a persons breast tissue. As symptoms develop or progress, treatment and care may also need to change. If you are diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer without a prior history of breast cancer, there are many possible symptoms which you may have. In order to receive hospice care, you usually need a physicians note saying that you are expected to live six months or less. While stage 4 breast cancer is not considered curable, treatments can control the spread and improve quality of life in many cases. The five-year survival rate for metastatic breast cancer patients depend on how far the cancer has spread: Regional metastatic breast cancer: The five-year relative survival rate is 86 percent (86 percent as likely as someone without cancer to survive during the five-year period). While fatigue cannot always be treated, there are several potentially reversible causes of fatigue that your healthcare provider will want to evaluate. It is also important to note that survivals rates are just estimates, and that doctors base these figures on data from at least 5 years ago. About 1 in 3 women live at least five years after diagnosis. Symptoms depend on where the cancer has metastasized. We avoid using tertiary references. Stage 4 breast cancer occurs when cancer spreads to distant parts of the body. Some things, like lifestyle changes or changes to your environment, can be done at home with the help of loved ones, while others may require a healthcare professionals advice and supervision. Often, there may be no suitable cure for the underlying cancer. Allow them to express themselvesmany people will suggest yet another treatment option you havent exploredeven if youve already decided that you dont wish to pursue any further treatments. Others worry that using medication will hasten their death and wish to be as alert as possible. Many people find relief with opioid medications, but these can cause side effects such as fatigue and constipation. Many people mistakenly believe that metastatic breast cancer is curable. If breast cancer has spread to your bones, symptoms may include: If breast cancer has spread to your brain, you may experience: If breast cancer has spread to your lungs, symptoms may include: If breast cancer has spread to your liver, you may experience: Late stage breast cancer may eventually stop responding to treatment. Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center provides world-class care to patients with cancer and is at the forefront of new and emerging clinical, translational and basic cancer research. But your provider may recommend radiation therapy for specific situations. American Cancer Society. Other nonspecific systemic symptoms of metastatic breast cancer can include fatigue, weight loss, and poor appetite, but it's important to remember these can also be caused by . Metastatic breast cancer most commonly spreads to the bones. Most of the time, metastatic breast cancer affects the bones, lungs, brain, or liver. Stage 4 Breast Cancer: Diagnosis, Treatment, Survival - Verywell Health There is nothing you can do to keep breast cancer from metastasizing. These vessels carry fluid and blood throughout the body. Lung metastases from breast cancer may cause a chronic cough and progressive shortness of breath, often first occurring only with activity. Fatigue. Doctors consider metastatic breast cancer to be a stage 4 cancer. National Cancer Institute. Metastatic breast cancer is cancer that has spread (metastasized) to other organs in the body. This can help you strike a balance between a smaller appetite and maintaining enough strength and energy to get through the day. There are many medications available, so if one treatment isnt working, your care team can try a different approach. But treatment can control its spread. Metavivor, an organization dedicated to researching MBC, states that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. Several medications can help relieve pain. A doctor may prescribe a combination of pain medications, such as opioids and over-the-counter pain relievers. When you start a treatment regimen, you and your care team will see how: If the treatment isnt working or the side effects are unbearable, your care team can discuss switching the treatment method. Many people are amazed at the help available when hospice is instituted. End-of-life treatment focuses on providing relief from these symptoms and improving quality of life. Caregivers may also need help with stress, anxiety, and depression. Your family can spend time with you until they wish to call the funeral home. Breast Cancer - Metastatic: Symptoms and Signs | Cancer.Net If youve been hospitalized during your treatment youve likely been asked if you have a living will or advance directives. Breast cancer metastatic: Statistics. Many people with metastatic cancerand their loved onesexperience grief similar to that associated with death and dying but while still living. Although breast cancer can spread to any bone, the most common sites are the ribs, spine, pelvis, and long bones in the arms and legs. Some of these symptoms are uncommon, but are mentioned so that you will be in a better position to recognize an emergency should one occur. Pain medications are often prescribed in a variety of methods: A pain-medication pump is sometimes needed to administer appropriate levels of medication. Patients' Expectations about Effects of Chemotherapy for Advanced Cancer. this marks end-stage breast cancer. Many people live for months or years after a healthcare professional has diagnosed metastatic breast cancer. While there is no cure for metastatic breast cancer, treatment can prolong your life and help you feel better. Family Anticipatory Grief: An Integrative Literature Review. Secondary breast cancer in the liver. Small abnormalities in one test can lead to additional test and biopsies, which can be very stressful to the patient, and repeated testing without symptoms has not been shown to improve outcomes. The earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the more effective treatment can be. We avoid using tertiary references. Pulido, C., Vendrell, I., Ferreira, A. R., Casimiro, S., Mansinho, A., Alho, I., & Costa, L. (2017, January 24). Treatment of Stage IV (Metastatic) Breast Cancer. In contrast, metastatic cancer is sometimes found when a biopsy of a site, such as the liver, reveals breast cancer cells. (2015, October). Signs and symptoms of liver cancer. Metastatic breast cancer isnt curable, but its treatable. A pause in treatment can help you feel your best and improve your quality of life. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. (2021). You can come back when you decide the time is right, or you can ask someone you trust to read it for you and talk to you when you're ready. (2017, December 20), Physical symptoms in the last 2 to 3 months of life. Multifocal breast cancer is where a person has more than one tumor in one area of their breast. The palliative care team can usually also provide support and advice to caregivers for their emotional needs. Receiving or stopping treatment is up to you. Low CA, Stanton AL. Be sure to check in with yourself often about how youre feeling and reach out for help when you need it. MNT is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media. Breast Cancer Research Foundation A 2017 study found that the number of women in the U.S. living with metastatic breast cancer is increasing. Many times the first symptoms of metastatic breast cancer are related to the regions of the body towhich a breast cancer spreads, or where it recurs. The majority of people donotexperience all of these symptoms. With advanced breast cancer, these symptoms include: Treatments for metastatic breast cancer are becoming so advanced that many people can live for a long time after their diagnosis and still maintain a good quality of life. The cancer has spread to other parts of the body like lungs, liver, bones, and brain. If a liver metastasis does cause symptoms, they can include pain or discomfort in the mid-section, fatigue and weakness, weight loss or poor appetite, and fever. A person may use opioids in combination with other pain relief medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. By stage IV breast cancer, also called metastatic breast cancer, the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. The first step in making this decision is to take a moment and consider the goals of your treatment and compare these with what your oncologist is thinking. sleeping 20 hours out of 24. Molecular testing of the tumor can be used to figure this out. You can opt-out at any time. When MBC spreads to another organ, such as the liver, the diagnosis is still breast cancer. These symptoms may be associated with metabolic changes in the body and other factors. There are medications available to help ease symptoms of nausea and improve appetite. Around 57% of diagnoses happen when cancer has already reached a distant organ. Treatment of pathological fractures of the long bones. Turn off your cell phone. However, patients should continue with their routine follow-ups as prescribed by their surgeon, medical oncologist and primary care doctor, the latter of whom plays a very important role in the survivorship phase.. The best time to talk to your healthcare provider is long before the issue arises. We link primary sources including studies, scientific references, and statistics within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. 2015;13(1). However, discussing these details in advance can help ensure that a persons final months are more comfortable, and that caregivers can honor the persons wishes as much as possible. weak pulse. What Are the Symptoms of Metastatic Breast Cancer? Cancer cells can invade nearby lymph nodes or blood vessels. Dying in America, Improving Quality and Honoring Individual Preferences Near the End of Life. In addition, sharing your symptoms, even if they may seem of little consequence to you, may help your oncologist better recognize the extent of your disease, anticipate potential complications, and suggest the best possible treatments for your disease. They may also recommend that you see a pain specialist. . Just as fluid can build up between the membranes lining the lungs, fluid may accumulate in the tissues lining the heart (the pericardial space), causing compression of the heart. Others wish to be as alert as possible, even if they feel more pain. This article looks at some of the signs and symptoms of metastatic breast cancer. Liver. What Are Palliative Care and Hospice Care? Metastatic breast cancer illness trajectory phases. (2021). How Viagra became a new 'tool' for young men, Ankylosing Spondylitis Pain: Fact or Fiction, https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/breast-cancer-metastatic/statistics, https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/understanding-a-breast-cancer-diagnosis/breast-cancer-survival-rates.html, https://www.cancer.org/treatment/end-of-life-care/nearing-the-end-of-life/physical-symptoms.html, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5295847/, https://adaa.org/serious-chronic-or-terminal-illnesses, New clues to slow aging?