Stage 4 breast cancer means that the cancer has spread to other areas of the body, such as the brain, bones, lung and liver.
Although Stage 4 breast cancer is considered incurable, current advances in research and medical technology mean that more and more women are living longer by treating the disease as a chronic condition. With excellent care and support, as well as personal motivation, Stage 4 breast cancer may respond to a number of treatment options that can extend your life for several years.
What Should A Person With Stage 4 Breast Cancer Expect From Treatment?
Treatment options vary widely depending on the type of cancer you have, the location of the metastasis (where the cancer has spread to), the volume of the metastasis, and what treatments you have received before. It also depends on where you live, your access to specialists and sub-specialists, and your willingness to try therapies that are still in the experimental phase.
Treatment is usually by systemic therapy (a treatment that targets all the body instead of the breast only) and may include chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of more than one option.
Surgery and radiation therapy are usually preserved for the treatment of local complication of the cancer in the breast or some sites of metastasis, that did not respond to other systemic treatment options
During this time, be sure to surround yourself with a support system of friends and family.
