| The most frightening words imaginable for any | | | | Your doctors will consider where the cancer is |
| woman are those when she is told that she has | | | | located and what type of cancer treatments you had |
| breast cancer. The morbid thoughts run through her | | | | in the past. Your wishes and quality of life are also |
| head and the fear is overwhelming. Now she must | | | | important factors. Treatment choices may include |
| endure medical treatments and examinations for | | | | surgery, medicines like chemotherapy or hormone |
| several months as begins her battle against this | | | | therapy, and radiation. Sometimes a mix of these |
| disease. Cancer is defined by four different stages | | | | treatments is used and there can be side effects. |
| and metastatic breast cancer is defined as stage 4 | | | | Your doctor can tell you what problems to expect |
| and it means that the cancer has spread beyond the | | | | and can help you find ways to manage and live with |
| breast and underarm lymph nodes to other part of | | | | them during the treatment phase. There may come a |
| the body. Another way to explain this is that the | | | | time with metastatic breast cancer when you make |
| cancer cells have migrated and are now growing | | | | a decision that quality of life is more important than |
| outside of the original tumor. Women who have | | | | quantity. If the medical treatments are not working |
| stage IV breast cancer usually receive chemotherapy | | | | and the effects of them are more devastating than |
| and or hormonal therapy to destroy cancer cells and | | | | the actual disease, you may have a choice to make. |
| control the disease. They may have surgery or | | | | Some people make the decision after talking to their |
| radiation therapy to control the cancer in the breast. | | | | family, friends and doctors to shift the focus of their |
| Radiation may also be useful to control tumors in | | | | treatments from attempting to cure the disease to |
| other parts of the body. The symptoms of | | | | staying comfortable and enjoying life. The care at this |
| metastatic breast cancer varies depend on where | | | | point is entirely focused on providing symptom relief |
| the cancer is and how large it is. The most common | | | | as well as support for you and your family so that |
| places for breast cancer to spread are within the | | | | everyone can make the most of the time remaining. |
| breast or to the nearby chest wall or to the liver, | | | | The final choice for your care after you have been |
| lungs, or bones. Common symptoms include a lump in | | | | diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer if yours! |
| your breast or on your chest wall, bone pain, or | | | | And, you should make informed decision after talking |
| shortness of breath. It is also possible that you will | | | | to your doctors and family members. Medical |
| not have any symptoms and that the only way to | | | | advances in this area are moving forward every day |
| keep yourself healthy is to be proactive and to take | | | | and you never know when the cure will be found. |
| an active role in your health care. It may be | | | | For more information on breast cancer visit - a |
| necessary to have continuous laboratory tests and | | | | website that specializes in breast cancer related |
| x-rays to determine whether or not the cancer has | | | | information and resources including information on |
| spread. Work with your doctors to plan your medical | | | | metastatic breast cancer. |
| treatments and to be a partner in your health care. | | | | |