how long do u live with breast cancer without treatment

by Frederik Stamm Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

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 is the life expectancy of someone with breast cancer?

Sep 30, 2017 · 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...

What is the survivor rate of breast cancer?

Oct 19, 2021 · A relative survival rate compares women with the same type and stage of breast cancer to women in the overall population.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 dont have that cancer to live for at ...

What is the recovery rate for breast cancer?

General Surgery 53 years experience. Depends.: There are some patients with breast cancer (such as dcis) can lived for many, many years with the cancer doing nothing. Some people will die very quic... Read More. 6.2k views Answered >2 years ago. Thank.

What is the prognosis for Stage 4 breast cancer?

Mar 01, 2022 · 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.

Can you live with breast cancer without treatment?

There are only very few studies available on the natural history of breast cancer, ie, the outcome of breast cancer without therapy. Bloom et al studied a series of 250 women with untreated breast cancer (diagnosed between 1805 and 1933) and found particularly poor survival rates: 18% at 5 years and 3.6% at 10 years.

What happens if breast cancer goes 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.Sep 24, 2007

How long can you live with cancer in your breast?

The NCI reports that 90.3 percent of women with breast cancer survive 5 years after diagnosis. This survival rate includes all women with breast cancer, regardless of the stage. The 5-year survival rate for women diagnosed with localized breast cancer is 99 percent.

Can breast cancer disappear without treatment?

It's hard to imagine how breast cancer could go away without treatment more than 20% of the time. Still, there are reasons why this could happen. In some cases, the genetic changes that caused the cancer cells to develop ultimately make it impossible for the cells to survive.Nov 24, 2008

What are the signs that breast cancer has spread?

Symptoms of metastatic breast cancer

Bone pain or bone fractures due to tumor cells spreading to the bones or spinal cord.
Headaches or dizziness when cancer has spread to the brain.
Shortness of breath or chest pain, caused by lung cancer.
Jaundice or stomach swelling.

Do you feel ill 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.

How fast does breast cancer spread?

Each division takes about 1 to 2 months, so a detectable tumor has likely been growing in the body for 2 to 5 years. Generally speaking, the more cells divide, the bigger the tumor grows.Apr 2, 2021

Is breast cancer a death sentence?

Breast cancer is no longer an automatic death sentence. Many of us are living proof that early detection, vigilance and aggressive treatment can, if not beat the odds, at least beat them back for a good long time. This year, one in eight women will get breast cancer.

How often is breast cancer fatal?

Breast Cancer Survival Rates

The overall 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is 90%. This means 90 out of 100 women are alive 5 years after they've been diagnosed with breast cancer. The 10-year breast cancer relative survival rate is 84% (84 out of 100 women are alive after 10 years).May 13, 2020

Can breast cancer resolve on its own?

With conflicting recommendations about the right age for women at average risk to begin breast cancer screenings and how often to be tested, it's no wonder that some women are confused.May 25, 2017

Can cancer go away on its own without treatment?

It's rare for cancer to go away on its own without treatment; in almost every case, treatment is required to destroy the cancer cells. That's because cancer cells do not function the way normal cells do.

How do you get rid of breast cancer?

There are two main types of surgery to remove breast cancer:

Breast-conserving surgery is surgery to remove the cancer as well as some surrounding normal tissue. ...
Mastectomy is a surgery in which the entire breast is removed, including all of the breast tissue and sometimes other nearby tissues.

Oct 27, 2021

Do women die from breast cancer?

It depends.: The reality is that more than half of all women diagnosed with breast cancer will not die from breast cancer. While it is impossible to predict the t ... Read More

Why is triple negative breast cancer the most aggressive?

Probably not long.: Triple negative breast cancer is the most aggressive breast cancer, because it grows and spreads fast and there are fewer options for treatment. If n ... Read More

How long does it take for a doctor to answer a question?

Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers — it's anonymous and free! Doctors typically provide answers within 24 hours.

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 the relative survival rate of breast cancer?

A relative survival rate compares women with the same type and stage of breast cancer to women in the overall population. 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 ...

What is the SEER database?

The SEER database tracks 5-year relative survival rates for breast cancer in the United States, based on how far the cancer has spread.

Ask the experts

My mother is fairly young (early 50s), and she was just diagnosed with breast cancer. I'm trying to figure out what I should expect going forward. How long can breast cancer patients live?

Doctor's response

Survival rates are a way for health care professionals to discuss the prognosis and outlook of a cancer diagnosis with their patients. The number most frequently discussed is five-year survival. It is the percentage of patients who live at least five years after they are diagnosed with cancer.

How long can you live with stage 4 cancer?

Stage 4 cancer usually has spread to multiple places in the body, meaning you can live only a few weeks or a few months. In rare cases, some people may survive for several months or even a year with stage 4 cancer, with or without treatment. Some studies have found that attempting to aggressively treat cancer that has reached stage 4 can actually ...

Can chemo affect quality of life?

In fact, for someone who likely only has weeks or months to live, aggressive treatments like chemotherapy may end up causing a significant reduction in quality of life over a period of a few weeks. This can cause the ill person to delay making end-of-life preparations or to delay entering hospice.

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 is the most advanced stage of cancer?

Stage 4 is the most advanced and most serious cancer diagnosis. Stage 0: a small cancerous tumor that is easy to remove and has little to no chance of spreading. Stage 1: an early-stage cancer that has not spread to the lymph nodes, resulting in a good chance of a cure.

What is the difference between stage 1 and stage 2 cancer?

Stage 1: an early-stage cancer that has not spread to the lymph nodes, resulting in a good chance of a cure. Stage 2: often consists of large tumors that are affecting nearby tissues. Stage 3: consists of large tumors that likely have spread into the lymph nodes. Stage 4: advanced or metastatic cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, ...

Can stage 4 cancer be treated with chemotherapy?

A recent national study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that the majority of people who choose to undergo chemotherapy or other aggressive treatments for stage 4 cancer do not understand the limitations of this treatment.

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 goal of MBC?

With MBC, the goal is often to use the least amount of treatment necessary to control the disease .

What is the Sage program?

Programs such as the SAGE program are available, as well as many other assistance programs that can help with anything from transportation to childcare.

Is it good to get a second opinion?

Getting a second opinion is almost always a good idea. Not only do doctors have different levels of experience and interest, but having a second opinion can be reassuring if you ever look back and question your choices. Make sure any medical conditions you have are under good control.

How long can you live with stage 4 breast cancer?

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 rate for 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.)

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.

What are the factors that affect the survival of breast cancer?

Some of these factors may be "actionable," meaning there are things people can do that may affect their prognosis, while many are not. Some factors associated with survival include: 1 Type: Some types of breast cancer are associated with better survival rates than others. 2 Age: While breast cancer has the reputation of being more aggressive in younger women, young women are more likely to become long-term survivors of breast cancer than older women. 3 Receptor status: People who have positive receptors (whether estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, or HER2) tend to live longer than those who have negative receptors—especially triple negative disease. 4 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. 5 Treatment choices: This includes treatment of oligometastases. A 2019 study found that treating oligometastases (usually up to five areas) can sometimes significantly improve survival. 6 Physical activity 7 Emotional and social support: People who have a supportive partner are more likely to live longer, and having a partner is one of the factors associated with long-term survival. 8 General health: General health plays a significant role in survival rates, and also affects the treatments that a person will be able to tolerate. 9 Cancer-related complications: Complications of advanced breast cancer such as blood clots, fractures, malignant pleural effusions, and more can decrease the projected life expectancy.

Is breast cancer more aggressive in younger women?

Age: While breast cancer has the reputation of being more aggressive in younger women, young women are more likely to become long-term survivors of breast cancer than older women.

Is metastatic breast cancer aggressive?

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. With early-stage breast cancer, the goal is usually to be aggressive in order to reduce the risk that the cancer will come back.

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 immunotherapy effective for breast cancer?

In addition, the newer immunotherapy drugs (while not as effective with breast cancer as some other cancers) have led to a durable response, or long-term response, for at least some people with advanced breast cancers. Another area of treatment that is changing is the treatment of oligometastases.

How long does breast cancer last?

(An old study of untreated breast cancer suggest the 5 year survival rates are 18% at 5 years and 3.6% at 10 years.)

Is breast cancer curable?

Breast cancer is well studied, frequently diagnosed, and if detected early, potentially curable. Conventional treatment for early (localized) breast cancer is surgical resection of the tumor, followed by radiation and chemotherapy to reduce the risk of disease recurrence, by killing any residual cancer cells that remain.

Is CAM a substitute for medicine?

Surveys suggest the vast majority of consumers with medical conditions use CAM in addition to, rather than as a substitute for medicine – that is, it is truly “complementary”. But there is a smaller population that uses CAM as a true “alternative” to medicine.

How many people use alternative medicine?

In the population that did not use conventional care, one-quarter (24.8%) used some form of alternative medicine. And 12% (approximately 4.6 million Americans) were estimated to be using alternative medicine, and not conventional medicine, to treat one or more health issues.

How many women refused breast cancer surgery?

It compared patients who refused breast cancer with those that those that accepted surgery. Only 1.3% of women (70) refused surgery. Of that group, 37 had no treatment, 25 had hormone-therapy only, and 8 had other types of treatments.

Who is Scott Gavura?

Scott Gavura, BScPhm, MBA, RPh is committed to improving the way medications are used, and examining the profession of pharmacy through the lens of science-based medicine. He has a professional interest is improving the cost-effective use of drugs at the population level. Scott holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Toronto, and has completed a Accredited Canadian Hospital Pharmacy Residency Program. His professional background includes pharmacy work in both community and hospital settings. He is a registered pharmacist in Ontario, Canada. Scott has no conflicts of interest to disclose. Disclaimer: All views expressed by Scott are his personal views alone, and do not represent the opinions of any current or former employers, or any organizations that he may be affiliated with. All information is provided for discussion purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for consultation with a licensed and accredited health professional.