Cancer tumors are cells in the body that change and grow out of control. The American Cancer Society reports that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, and that it can also occur in men. The organization's figures from 2009 predict an estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 62,280 new cases of noninvasive cancer each year; an estimated 40,170 women die from breast cancer each year in the United States. Metastatic breast cancer is described as a cancer that has spread to other organs from the original breast tumor site. It has the potential to spread to many regions in the body, most commonly the bones, followed by the lungs and liver.
Bone Metastases
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer cells often spread to the bones, including the spine, hip bone, ribs, skull, upper leg and upper arm bones. Bone metastases can generally cause pain, decrease one’s activity and can cause fractures. Still more severe problems can arise, such as abnormally high levels of calcium, spinal cord compression and backbone damage due to pressure on the spinal cord. Based on a medical review of the American Cancer Society, biphosphonate drugs, together with other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, tend to delay or reduce bone pain, fractures and other bone complications.
Lung Metastases
Lung metastases arise when cancer cells spread to the lungs. Most common signs are shortness of breath, bloody sputum and cough. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, in many cases there are no symptoms, and the condition can only be diagnosed through a chest X-ray or CT scan. If the cancer is confined to one area of the lungs, the condition can be treated by surgery. If the cancer has spread throughout the lungs, chemotherapy is more effective.
Liver Metastases
Liver metastases arise when the cancer cells spread to the liver. Mild symptoms such as weight loss, loss of appetite, intestinal disorders and fever can be felt during the first stage of liver metastasis. As the condition worsens, the intensity of the symptoms increases. A liver biopsy should be done to distinguish between cancerous tumors and other abnormalities.
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer can infect other organs such as the brain, bone marrow, ovaries, or spinal cord, but these sites are less common than the bones, lungs and liver.
