Understanding the Treatment Options for Stage IV Breast Cancer
There are 4 stages of breast cancer—stage I, II, III, and IV. Stage IV breast cancer is also known as metastatic or even secondary breast cancer and is the most advanced stage of breast cancer. If left untreated for a long time, then cancer metastasizes (spreads) beyond the breast. Most often, metastatic breast cancer spreads through the lymphatic system to the liver, bones, lungs, and brain. This, in turn, can result in life-threatening morbidity including myocardial infarction (MI). The size of the tumor varies from one person to another. Approximately more than 154,000 women residing in the US have metastatic breast cancer. Many women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer had suffered from breast cancer before. However, for some, metastatic breast cancer may be their first diagnosis of breast cancer . Treatment Coping up with the most advanced stage of breast cancer is quite tough and challenging as an advanced stage of breast cancer remains incurable. Only an oncologist can treat patients diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. A lot of factors such as age, medical history, and general health are considered. Moreover, the biology of the growth of tumor and metastasis comes into the picture. Your medical oncologist will encourage effective treatment.