Stage 4 breast cancer is an advanced form of breast cancer that spreads to the brain, lungs, bones and liver. It is also known as metastatic breast cancer or secondary breast cancer. Treatment for stage 4 breast cancer aims to control the cancer, alleviate symptoms and ensure optimal quality of life.
Symptoms of Stage 4 Breast Cancer
The symptoms of stage 4 breast cancer can vary depending on where the metastases are located. Some may not be noticeable at all, while others might cause significant pain, fatigue and difficulty eating.
Bone metastases are most common, but they can affect other organs and tissues. This type of disease can cause bone pain, numbness in the hands and feet, muscle weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss and changes in mood or balance.
Brain metastases are less common, but they can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness and numbness in the face or arms. They can also lead to problems with vision or balance.
Survivorship of Stage 4 Breast Cancer
The outlook for people with stage 4 breast cancer depends on many factors, including the location and extent of metastases and a person’s age. Generally, women with a lower stage of the disease tend to live longer.
Those with a high stage of the disease are more likely to die quickly, often within a year of their diagnosis. However, a number of medical advances have improved survival rates for patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Treatment for Stage 4 Breast Cancer
The standard treatments for people with metastatic breast cancer include chemotherapy and hormonal therapy. These therapies work to kill cancer cells by blocking hormones that help them grow. Chemotherapy is given intravenously, usually in cycles over several weeks. It can cause side effects such as diarrhea, a loss of appetite leading to weight loss, drowsiness and mouth sores.
Hormone therapy works on hormone receptor-positive cancers, which means they have certain proteins called receptors that attach to estrogen and progesterone to encourage them to grow. These drugs can be used alone or in combination with other medications, such as an aromatase inhibitor.
Targeted therapy is a medication that can kill cancer cells by targeting specific parts of the body where they are growing. It can be used alone or in combination with other treatments, such as an anti-inflammatory drug and radiation.
Immunotherapy can be used to treat metastatic hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancers with a dMMR (double-negative mutation) burden or a high tumor mutation burden. It can be used in combination with chemotherapy or radiation to reduce the size of the tumors.
Surgery can be helpful for some people with stage 4 breast cancer, particularly if they have a higher-than-average risk of death due to their disease. The benefits of surgery include reducing the number of metastatic lesions and improving a patient’s quality of life.
The best way to manage your stage 4 breast cancer is with care from your medical team. Your oncologist will help you make decisions about the types of therapies that are right for you. They will take your overall health, age, and other factors into account before recommending a treatment plan.
