When breast cancer spreads beyond the breast area to the rest of the body, it is known as metastatic breast cancer. Roughly 20 to 30 percent of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer will eventually develop metastases of the cancer elsewhere in their body. Metastatic cancer is more difficult to treat because it is often difficult to locate.
Variability in the Population
Survival rates for metastatic breast cancer vary greatly among patients. Some patients will go into remission easily, whereas others will not respond to any treatments.
Hormonal Treatments
Hormonal treatments work to block the effects of estrogen throughout the body. Because breast tissue grows in response to estrogen, this can slow the growth of metastases.
Immunotherapy
Another type of therapy focuses on identifying unique features of breast cancer cells and trains the immune system to kill cells with those features.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy works by poisoning cells that are rapidly dividing. This is especially useful for metastatic breast cancer, as the tumor cells may be rapidly dividing in many areas of the body.
Radiation
If the location of the metastatic breast cancer is known, radiation therapy, performed by directing beams of X-rays at an area, can kill cells in those areas.
Tags: breast cancer, metastatic breast, metastatic breast cancer, kill cells, rapidly dividing