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