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