What is the prognosis for metastatic breast cancer?
In this article, we’ll go over what to expect when it comes to metastatic breast cancer, from prognosis to treatment. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the 5-year survival rate after diagnosis for people with stage 4 breast cancer is 28 percent. This percentage is considerably lower than earlier stages.
Can You Survive Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer?
"When [SEER] looks at metastatic breast cancer…it's in people who were stage 4 from the very beginning," she says. But most stage 4 breast cancer patients become metastatic after another initial diagnosis and treatment program, making the survival rates of these other folks not quite as applicable.
How long can you live with breast cancer without treatment?
A Small Study. A study by Drs. Peter A.S. Johnstone and Marilyn S. Norton, and Robert H. Riffenburgh, PhD., of 250 untreated breast cancer patients found that the median survival time was 2.7 years. They also studied the data on 1,022 untreated patients in other studies, and found a median survival time of 2.3 years.
What does the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer really mean?
For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate for a specific stage of breast cancer is 90%, it means that women who have that cancer are, on average, about 90% as likely as women who don’t have that cancer to live for at least 5 years after being diagnosed. Where do these numbers come from?
What happens if you don't treat metastatic breast cancer?
De novo metastatic breast cancer means that at the time of initial diagnosis, the breast cancer has already spread to other parts of the body. In the absence of treatment, the cancer spreads. There is nothing you can do to keep breast cancer from metastasizing.
How long can a breast cancer patient live without treatment?
Median survival time of the 250 patients followed to death was 2.7 years. Actuarial 5- and 10-year survival rates for these patients with untreated breast cancer was 18.4% and 3.6%, respectively. For the amalgamated 1,022 patients, median survival time was 2.3 years.
What are the final stages of metastatic breast cancer?
Most of the time, metastatic breast cancer affects the bones, lungs, brain, or liver....Lung metastasis symptomsa dry cough that does not go away.trouble breathing or shortness of breath.wheezing.coughing up blood and mucus.pain in the chest or lung area.
What happens if breast cancer is left untreated?
And if untreated, breast cancer universally becomes a fatal disease. It can happen over long periods of time, but if you don't have surgery and if you don't have other treatments, it doesn't go away on its own. That's why we recommend (to) people that they get appropriate medical treatment.
What is the longest anyone has lived with metastatic breast cancer?
She survived for 18 years after the diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) while maintaining a good quality of life. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case in the literature with the longest overall survival in a patient with MBC.
How long can you live with breast cancer that has metastasized?
Between 20 and 30 percent of women with early stage breast cancer go on to develop metastatic disease. While treatable, metastatic breast cancer (MBC) cannot be cured. The five-year survival rate for stage 4 breast cancer is 22 percent; median survival is three years. Annually, the disease takes 40,000 lives.
When does breast cancer spread to brain?
About 10% to 15% of people with stage IV breast cancer have brain metastases. The risk of brain metastasis is usually highest for people with more aggressive subtypes of breast cancer, such as HER2-positive or triple-negative breast cancer.
What causes death in metastatic breast cancer?
The most common cause of death was metastatic disease to various organs, accounting for 42% of all deaths. Infection was the second most common cause of death; however, only 27% of the patients with infection had significant neutropenia. In patients dying of hemorrhage, only 9% were thrombocytopenic.
How do you know when a cancer patient is close to death?
Patients near death may not respond to others. Patients may withdraw and spend more time sleeping. They may answer questions slowly or not at all, seem confused, and may not be interested in what's going on around them. Most patients are still able to hear after they are no longer able to speak.
Can breast cancer survive without chemo?
A federally funded study has found that many women with the most common type of early stage breast cancer likely do not need chemotherapy after surgery.
How sick do you feel with breast cancer?
Some general symptoms that breast cancer may have spread include: Feeling constantly tired. Constant nausea (feeling sick) Unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite.
Does 5-year survival rate mean you have 5 years to live?
Most importantly, five-year survival doesn't mean you will only live five years. Instead it relates to the percentage of people in research studies who were still alive five years after diagnosis.
How long can you live with metastatic breast cancer?
Many people live for months or years after a healthcare professional has diagnosed metastatic breast cancer. Treatment can help a person live longer and slow down the progression of the cancer. As a person with metastatic breast cancer approaches the end of life, their treatment approach might shift to palliative care.
What is metastatic breast cancer?
Metastatic breast cancer occurs when the cancer spreads from the breast to another part of the body. Symptoms and treatment for this stage of breast cancer are different to those of the earlier stages.
What is the most common cancer that affects the bones, lungs, brain, and liver?
Most of the time, metastatic breast cancer affects the bones, lungs, brain, or liver.
Why is it so hard to eat after breast cancer?
A dry mouth and throat, changes in taste and smell, and a decreased need for calories can make it difficult for a person to eat. Nausea and constipation may also diminish the appetite. Weight loss: People with metastatic breast cancer can lose weight for several reasons.
How to help a cancer patient who is not eating?
Caregivers may become upset or concerned when a person with cancer does not eat. However, they should try to understand that it may be difficult or impossible for the person to eat or drink when they feel ill, are exhausted, or have no appetite. Try ice chips to keep the mouth moist.
What are the symptoms of cancer?
Emotional changes: Coping with the end of life can cause depression, anxiety, mood swings, stress, and a variety of emotions. All these symptoms are normal as the cancer progresses. End-of-life treatment focuses on providing relief from these symptoms and improving quality of life.
Where does breast cancer spread?
Metastatic breast cancer most commonly spreads to the bones. Symptoms of bone metastasis include:
How long does it take to live with metastatic breast cancer?
The overall five-year survival rate for metastatic breast cancer is reported as 27% by the National Cancer Institute looking at data from 2008 to 2014. This same rate is 22% as reported by the American Cancer Society, with the median survival time (the amount of time after which 50% of people are still alive and 50% have passed away) at three years.
Where are breast cancer metastases?
Location of metastases: Breast cancer metastases to bones are associated with a higher survival rate than metastases to other regions such as the lungs, liver, and brain. Treatment choices: This includes treatment of oligometastases.
What is aggressive treatment for breast cancer?
The goal of treatment for metastatic breast cancer is often very different than that of early-stage disease, and this can raise anxiety among patients and loved ones of patients .
What do people learn about cancer?
Common things that people learn about cancer usually refer to an early-stage disease, and myths about metastatic breast cancer can be painful for those living with advanced disease. For example, one of the things not to say to someone with metastatic breast cancer is, "When will you be done with treatment?"
What are the symptoms of stage 4 breast cancer?
Coping with the many symptoms that can occur with stage 4 breast cancer can be frustrating and discouraging, and people sometimes wonder if they will have to feel poorly the rest of their lives. Anxiety and depression are also severe for some people with advanced disease.
What is the goal of breast cancer?
With early-stage breast cancer, the goal is usually to be aggressive in order to reduce the risk that the cancer will come back. In contrast, with stage 4 disease, the goal is usually to use the minimum amount of treatment possible to control the disease (at least at the current time).
Is stage 4 breast cancer curable?
At the same time, it's important to understand that stage 4 breast cancer isn't curable. It can be helpful to look at current statistics and consider the many variables that affect life expectancy. While it's important not to raise false hope, it may help to know the reality that there are some long-term survivors.
How long do women with metastatic breast cancer live?
In fact, today it’s reported that some women with metastatic breast cancer are predicted to live 10 or more years after diagnosis. 4
How long do women live with breast cancer?
Of the women with breast cancer in the United States, it’s estimated that nearly 34% have been living with metastatic breast cancer for at least five years. 5
What is the prognosis of breast cancer?
Prognosis is considered the forecast or the likely course of a disease. In those that are incurable, the prognosis refers to how many years a person will survive once a diagnosis is made. The prognosis of metastatic breast cancer is different for each person who has breast cancer.
How long does it take for breast cancer to metastasize?
Metastasis of breast cancer may not surface for many years after a person is first diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. Therefore, predicting the prognosis (the likely course of a disease) of metastatic breast cancer may require the medical team to look closely at factors such as the length time between initial diagnosis and metastasis, genetics, and more. 3
How many women survive stage 4 breast cancer?
Stage 4 Survival Rates. Factors Influencing Prognosis. Studies. It is estimated that 155,000 women (and men) in the United States currently have metastatic breast cancer, which means that the cancer has spread to the bones, liver, lungs, brain or other parts of the body. Approximately 22% of those diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer survive up ...
How long does it take to live after cancer diagnosis?
For those at stage 2 (the cancer is local or has spread only to local lymph nodes) there is an expected five-year survival rate of over 90%.
What is the survival rate for stage 4 cancer?
For stage 4 (metastasized cancer that has spread to distant organs or other body parts) there is an expected five-year survival rate of 22%.
How long does it take to live with metastatic breast cancer?
Indeed, a 2018 meta-analysis published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum found that the average life expectancy from metastatic breast cancer increased from 21 months (slightly less than two years) to 38 months (just over three years) between 1990 and 2010. That number has very likely improved since then thanks to better treatments available.
How can treatment options help metastatic breast cancer?
As mentioned, metastatic breast cancer is not curable. But there are many treatments available to help extend a patient's life , both experts say.
What is stage 4 breast cancer?
Metastatic breast cancer (also known as stage 4 breast cancer ), is breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast and the surrounding lymph nodes to other parts of the body , Nancy Lin, MD, an oncologist who specializes in breast cancer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, tells Health. Approximately 30% of breast cancer patients will develop metastatic breast cancer following an initial earlier-stage diagnosis, according to a review in the Journal of Internal Medicine. Meanwhile, the American Society of Clinical Oncology says just 6% of women have metastatic breast cancer when they are first diagnosed.
What is the treatment for metastatic breast cancer?
As with an earlier-stage breast cancer, there are lots of treatments available for managing metastatic breast cancer. Chemotherapy is one common option, says Dr. Lin, particularly for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. For people who have a hormone-receptor positive breast cancer (such as ER-positive breast cancer) that has metastasized, targeted hormone therapies are often used to slow the growth of tumors. Some people might also receive immunotherapy, which works to help a patient's immune system target and destroy cancer cells.
How to treat metastatic bone lesions?
Treatment often can target site-specific symptoms, adds Dr. Taiwo. For example, she often uses radiation treatment to help manage pain caused by metastatic bone lesions. Medicines to strengthen the bones (similar to what's used to treat osteoporosis) can also help people whose cancer spread to their bones, says Dr. Lin.
Is breast cancer curable?
The advanced-stage breast cancer is not curable, but there are treatments available to prolong life and control symptoms.
Does breast cancer spread to bones?
It's still unclear to science how or why certain cancers metastasize and others don't, says Dr. Lin, or why breast cancer cells seem to prefer spreading to those specific regions of the body. The type of cancer may play a role in where it metastasizes. For example, Dr. Lin says triple-negative breast cancer seems to often spread to the lungs, while estrogen-receptor (ER) positive breast cancer often spreads to the bones .
What is the survival rate for breast cancer?
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the 5-year survival rate after diagnosis for people with stage 4 breast cancer is 28 percent. This percentage is considerably lower than earlier stages. For all stages, the overall 5-year survival rate is 90 percent.
How long after breast cancer diagnosis can you have a good outlook?
The stage of your breast cancer at diagnosis plays an important role in your outlook. According to the NCI. Trusted Source. , you have the best outlook in the 5 years after your breast cancer diagnosis when the cancer is diagnosed and treated at an earlier stage.
How do you know if you have metastatic breast cancer?
Symptoms of metastatic breast cancer 1 If breast cancer has spread to your bones, you may notice a sudden new bone pain. Breast cancer most commonly spreads to your ribs, spine, pelvis, or arm and leg bones. 2 If it has spread to your brain, you may experience headaches, vision or speech changes, or memory problems. 3 Breast cancer that has spread to your lungs or liver usually causes no symptoms.
What does stage 4 mean for breast cancer?
If your doctor has made a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, this means that the cancer has advanced to what’s known as stage 4.
How does chemotherapy help with breast cancer?
chemotherapy, where drugs given orally or through an IV travel through your bloodstream to fight cancer cells.
Why is it important to treat breast cancer early?
Because survival rates are higher in the early stages of breast cancer, early diagnosis and treatment is crucial. But remember: The right treatment for stage 4 breast cancer can improve quality of life and longevity.
What bone does breast cancer spread to?
If breast cancer has spread to your bones, you may notice a sudden new bone pain. Breast cancer most commonly spreads to your ribs, spine, pelvis, or arm and leg bone s.
How long do people with breast cancer live?
Survival rates can give you an idea of what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive a certain amount of time (usually 5 years) after they were diagnosed.
What is a 5-year relative survival rate?
For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate for a specific stage of breast cancer is 90% , it means that women who have that cancer are, on average, about 90% as likely as women who don’t have that cancer to live for at least 5 years after being diagnosed.
Is breast cancer better for women?
Women now being diagnosed with breast cancer may have a better outlook than these numbers show. Treatments improve over time, and these numbers are based on women who were diagnosed and treated at least five years earlier.
Do the numbers apply to cancer?
These numbers apply only to the stage of the cancer when it is first diagnosed. They do not apply later on if the cancer grows, spreads, or comes back after treatment.
Can you predict cancer survival?
Keep in mind that survival rates are estimates and are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had a specific cancer, but they can’t predict what will happen in any particular person’s case. These statistics can be confusing and may lead you to have more questions. Talk with your doctor about how these numbers may apply to you, as he or she is familiar with your situation.
Does breast cancer spread outside the breast?
Localized: There is no sign that the cancer has spread outside of the breast.
Why is life expectancy so critical for breast cancer?
The reason is because both cancers are very extreme. Cancerous cells at these diseases have already spread to other parts of the body.
Can cancer be metastatic?
All kinds of cancers can have high chances to develop in metastasis. Later stages of cancers will probably lead to metastatic if treatments for the early stages are not given. It is also possible that the cause of metastatic is due to ineffective response of the treatment used. Dealing with metastatic cancer life expectancy is nothing ...
Can metastatic cancer be treated?
Treatment for metastatic cancer depends on the type of the cancer survival rate. However, the fact that metastatic cancer normally implies a very low prognosis, treatments can be the best solution. Whether you want to increase the low metastatic cancer life expectancy kidney or metastatic cancer life expectancy bone, surviving is possible. Undergoing treatment is the secret to make patients survive.
Can colon cancer affect the appendix?
For example, metastatic colon cancer may have affected the appendix and other nearby body parts. Having an idea about metastatic cancer life expectancy colon could be very helpful so patients can have the option to take proper treatments. Treatment for metastatic cancer depends on the type of the cancer survival rate.
Can you survive metastatic cancer?
Getting to know metastatic cancer life expectancy can give hopes for patients. With all the determination to survive, you must not hesitate to find treatment as soon as possible. Metastatic cancer should be prevented immediately so you can survive. Fighting of this advanced and critical stage of cancer is the main objective a patient needs to always keep in mind.
What is stage 0 cancer?
Stage 0: a small cancerous tumor that is easy to remove and has little to no chance of spreading.
Which type of cancer has the best chance of responding favorably to the initial treatment?
Cancers that consist of solid tumors tend to have the best chance of responding favorably to the initial treatment.
How do doctors treat cancer?
At this point, a doctor may success an alternative to traditional cancer treatments, including: 1 A clinical trial: Researchers may provide experimental treatments for the cancer, all of which may present higher risks than traditional treatments. 2 Palliative care: Doctors may suggest stopping treatment and working to relieve the symptoms of the cancer for the remainder of life. 3 Entering hospice: This type of palliative care focuses on end-of-life preparation.
What happens if you get asbestos in your lungs?
If you get asbestos in your lungs, fibers can get stuck in your lung tissue and can remain there for a long period of time . Asbestos can cause scarring, inflammation, and several types of serious lung problems, including pleural effusions, pleural plaques, asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. What Is Asbestos? According to the National Heart, ...
What is the difference between clinical trial and palliative care?
A clinical trial: Researchers may provide experimental treatments for the cancer, all of which may present higher risks than traditional treatments. Palliative care: Doctors may suggest stopping treatment and working to relieve the symptoms of the cancer for the remainder of life.
How do you know if you have lung cancer?
Common early signs of lung cancer include the following, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS): Cough that will not go away Coughing up blood Chest pains Hoarseness and pain when speaking Significant weight loss Fatigue or weakness Frequent infections Several recurring onsets of wheezing This is a non-exhaustive list of symptoms that may indicate ...
What happens if you have stage 4 lung cancer?
If you have stage 4 lung cancer and another party exposed you to the toxins that led to your diagnosis of cancer, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your medical costs, pain, and suffering.
What is the best treatment for stage IV breast cancer?
Although systemic drugs are the main treatment for stage IV breast cancer, local and regional treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, or regional chemotherapy are sometimes used as well. These can help treat breast cancer in a specific part of the body, but they are very unlikely to get rid of all of the cancer.
What is the best treatment for bone metastases?
Treatment to relieve symptoms depends on where the cancer has spread. For example, pain from bone metastases may be treated with radiation therapy, drugs called bisphosphonates such as pamidronate (Aredia) or zoledronic acid (Zometa), or the drug denosumab (Xgeva).
What hormones are used for cancer?
For hormone receptor-positive (ER-positive or PR-positive) cancers that were being treated with hormone therapy, switching to another type of hormone therapy sometimes helps. For example, if either letrozole (Femara) or anastrozole (Arimidex) were given, using exemestane, possibly with everolimus (Afinitor), may be an option. Another option might be using fulvestrant (Faslodex) or an aromatase inhibitor (such as letrozole), along with a CDK inhibitor. If the cancer has a PIK3CA mutation and has grown while on an aromatase inhibitor, fulvestrant with alpelisib might be considered. If the cancer is no longer responding to any hormone drugs, chemotherapy is usually the next step.
What is the treatment for HER2 negative cancer?
HER2-negative cancers in women with a BRCA gene mutation. These women are typically treated with chemotherapy (and hormone therapy, if the cancer is hormone receptor-positive). An option after getting chemo is treatment with a targeted drug called a PARP inhibitor, such as olaparib or talazoparib.
What is the treatment for estrogen receptor positive cancer?
Women with hormone receptor-positive (estrogen receptor-positive or progesterone receptor-positive) cancers are often treated first with hormone therapy (tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor). This may be combined with a targeted drug such as a CDK4/6 inhibitor, everolimus or a PI3K inhibitor.
Where does stage IV breast cancer go?
When breast cancer spreads, it most commonly goes to the bones, liver, and lungs. It may also spread to the brain or other organs.
Can you use chemo for breast cancer?
If the cancer is no longer responding to one chemo regimen, trying another may be helpful. Many different drugs and combinations can be used to treat breast cancer. However, each time a cancer progresses during treatment, it becomes less likely that further treatment will have an effect.
Variables
Survival Rates
- The overall five-year survival rate for metastatic breast cancer is reported as 27% by the National Cancer Institute looking at data from 2008 to 2014. This same rate is 22% as reported by the American Cancer Society, with the median survival time (the amount of time after which 50% of people are still alive and 50% have passed away) at three years.
Long-Term Survivors
- Being a long term survivor is usually defined as living five or more years beyond a diagnosis of stage 4 breast cancer. Living 10 or more years isn't unheard of, and the 10-year survival ratefor primary or "de novo" metastatic breast cancer is around 13%. (This rate is based on de novo cases or cases in which stage 4 was the initial diagnosis.)
Coping
- Coping with stage 4 breast cancer is challenging, and it is very different than coping with early-stage disease. For those who originally faced early-stage breast cancer, not only do they need to face cancer again but this time they aren't dealing with a disease that can potentially be cured. Metastatic breast cancer often comes with more symptoms as well, such as bone pain due to b…
A Word from Verywell
- In talking about statistics, it's important to know that people aren't statistics. Even with factors that may increase or decrease the prognosis, survival is very variable between different people.
Prognosis
Stage 4 Survival Rates
- To get a perspective on the difference in survival rates during different stages of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS) the rate of survival after diagnosis is:1 1. For those at stage 2 (the cancer is local or has spread only to local lymph nodes) there is an expected five-year survival rate of over 90%. 2. For those at stage 3 (advanced breast cancer—the cancer …
Factors Influencing Metastatic Breast Cancer Prognosis
- There are several factors that can impact the prognosis of metastatic breast cancer, these include:6 1. Age 2. General health 3. Hormone receptors on cancer cells 4. The type of tissue involved 5. The number of tumors/extent of metastasis 6. A person’s overall attitude and outlook on the prognosis
Studies
- A 2015 study was conducted in the Netherlands.8 It involved 815 study subjects with metastatic breast cancer were divided into three groups, including: 1. 154 participants with de novo metastatic breast cancer (a condition that occurs when metastasis is diagnosed when the breast cancer is initially detected). 2. 176 participants with a metastatic free interval of fewer th…