Metastatic breast cancer or MBC is a serious condition of breast cancer (Stage 4). It also means the cancer cells spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body. Before it gets serious, it’s vital to know all the symptoms and treatment of metastatic breast cancer.
The common symptoms of it are headache, urine issues, body pain, tiredness, vomiting, dry cough, and so on. To treat it, the doctors would suggest taking hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy.
While it’s a serious case, knowing the signs and understanding treatment options can make a huge difference in managing the disease. Let’s dive into what to look for and the ways doctors approach treatment for MBC in this guide!
Symptoms of Metastatic Breast Cancer!
When metastatic breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, you’ll find a few signs that indicate its effect. In most cases, the symptoms can vary depending on where it has spread. However, the common areas include the bones, lungs, liver, and so on.
Sometimes, it can affect the brain, especially with certain types of breast cancer like HER2-positive or triple-negative. If you are curious to know the signs of this kind of cancer, here are the details to keep an eye out for:
- Ongoing pain in your back, bones, or joints.
- Face trouble to urinate (either not being able to go or having incontinence). It can also mean the cancer is pressing on nerves in your spine.
- Numbness or weakness in any part of your body.
- A persistent dry cough.
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
- Chest pain or pressure.
- Feeling loss of appetite.
- Abdominal bloating, pain, or tenderness in your body.
- Regular nausea, vomiting, or sudden weight loss.
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice).
- Severe headaches.
- Vision changes (blurry vision, double vision, or vision loss).
- Seizures.
- Trouble with balance.
- Feeling confused or loss of memory.
- Regular fatigue or weariness.
How Does Breast Cancer Metastasize or Spread?
If you notice any of these symptoms or changes in your body, it’s time to know how they spread in the body. Let’s find out how breast cancer metastasizes or spreads:
- The cancer cells can spread into nearby healthy cells and affect them deeply. It can also turn those healthy cells into cancerous cells.
- Once these cells multiply, they can move from where they first formed into the bloodstream or
- The cancer cells in the blood or lymph system can be carried to distant parts of the body. Most of the time, these cells may settle and start forming new tumors.
- The cancer cells can get trapped in tiny blood vessels and start to grow there. In that case, they stop moving and start growing in nearby tissues.
- Over time, these cells can form small tumors in new areas. In medical terms, experts call these tumors micrometastases.
Diagnose of Metastatic Breast Cancer!
Sadly, there is no single test to identify metastatic breast cancer. And, most specialists will use blood tests and imaging scans in a process called poly angiography. Here are some common tests that they might do to diagnose:
For Blood Tests
- Complete Blood Count (CBC): it measures overall bone marrow health. This may also be affected by cancer.
- Liver Enzymes: The high levels may indicate that cancer has reached the liver.
- Calcium Levels: The high calcium can indicate that cancer has spread to the bones.
For Image Tests
- Whole-body Bone Scan: This helps see if the cancer has spread to any bones. Sometimes some bones can be examined using an X-ray.
- MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): It gives detailed images of the spinal cord or brain. If those areas need to be examined more closely, you might need to do that.
- CT (Computed Tomography) Scan: This scans the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Other than this, it can scan the brain to detect signs of cancer.
- PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scan: It detects cancer activity throughout the body.
- X-rays or Ultrasound: These are used to scan the abdomen or chest if signs appear closely.
Extra Tests for Specific Symptoms
- Bronchoscopy: This test checks your airways if you have a long-term cough or difficulty breathing.
- Biopsy: A small sample must be taken from a suspicious area to look for cancer cells.
- Liquid Drainage (Faucet): If liquid accumulates in certain areas, the doctors can take samples to check for cancer cells.
| Do You Know: According to NCI for 2018 to 2021 data, around 13.1% of women develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. |
Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer!
Taking care of metastatic breast cancer usually involves systemic therapies. And for that, it needs different sorts of treatments that work via the whole body rather than focusing on a single area. Here’s a rundown of some common systemic treatments:
1. Hormonal Therapy
This treatment blocks breast cancer cells from getting or using the hormones they need to grow like estrogen and progesterone.
By cutting off these hormones, it can help slow or stop the growth of hormone-sensitive cancer cells. In most cases, it’s paired with CDK4/6 inhibitors to improve its effectiveness.
2. Chemotherapy
This treatment contains a blend of drugs that either kill cancer cells or slow down their growth. Due to the drug usage, it just circulates throughout the bloodstream and aims at cancer cells wherever they might be in the body.
3. Targeted Therapy
This treatment uses drugs that focus on specific proteins in cancer cells like HER2. It also helps the cells grow or spread. By targeting these proteins, the drugs can lessen cancer growth more precisely, especially in HER2-positive breast cancer.
4. Immunotherapy
This treatment is a newer option that activates your body’s own immune system to fight cancer. Thanks to its effect, a lot of experts are now using it on some patients with metastatic breast cancer. And, this helps the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
Most patients get a blend of these treatments based on their specific needs. And, each treatment is chosen to help control the spread of cancer, relieve, and improve quality of life. To get better medical care from the Breast Center, you can contact us now!
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Dealing with Your Metastatic Breast Cancer
It’s time to take action and recover now that you know everything about the symptoms and treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Just be sure to choose a decent medical care center to treat your condition. Hope you find this helpful and get well soon!