If the cancer cells enter the lymphatic system, they can spread to other parts of the body.
“Metastasis” is the term for the spread of cancer.
Yet for others, the disease is metastatic at the time of diagnosis or later recurs.
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For roughly 20% of women, breast cancer is diagnosed at the very earliest stage.
It’s important that every person who has had breast cancer be knowledgeable about their expectations.
Your oncologist can help you understand these based on your specific cancer,its stage, and other characteristics.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Cancers aren’t just clones of abnormal cells that propagate mindlessly.
Rather, they are continually changing and developing new mutations.
Where does breast cancer spread to first?
Breast cancer often first enters the lymphatic system when it begins to spread.
Usually, the lymph nodes closest to the tumor are where it will move first.
Why It Spreads and Recurs
Why do breast cancer cells travel at all?
These adhesion molecules act like glue and keep cells where they belong in a particular part of the body.
Normal cells also have “boundaries” or ways in which cells communicate with each other.
This is like one country saying to another, “You don’t belong here.”
Yet another confusing question is why metastasis can happen years or even decades later.
How fast does breast cancer usually spread?
Rapidly growing breast cancer tumors can double in size every 46 to 157 days.
Intermediate ones usually range from doubling in size every 147 days to 531 days.
Slower-growing tumors may take much longer.
These include:
Symptoms
If you have metastases, you may or may not have anysymptoms.
When breast cancer spreads to the lungs, it may cause shortness of breath and a cough.
The most common site of breast metastases is the bones, and symptoms usually include pain.
Brain metastases can cause symptoms such as headache, blurry vision, weakness, numbness, or seizures.
Be gentle with yourself.
Diagnosis
Doctors have several ways of determining whether cancer has spread or not.
Also, physicians often rely onbiopsies, which are tissue samples gathered by surgical removal or needle extraction.
Isolated metastases, such as those to the brain, are sometimes treated with surgery or radiation therapy.
What is the deadliest stage of breast cancer?
In general, the goal oftreatmentis very different from metastatic breast cancer compared with earlier stages of the disease.
With early-stage disease, treatment is often aggressive with the aim of complete remission.
With stage 4, however, the least amount of treatment to control the disease is usually the goal.
What is the life expectancy of a person with breast cancer?
Five-year survival rates range from 31% to 99%.
Cancer spreads via lymphatic or bloodstream channels, invading nearby tissues.
Recurrence risks vary based on factors like tumor stage, lymph node involvement, and aggressiveness.
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