Stage IV breast cancer is breast cancer that has spread, or metastasized, to other parts of the body besides the breast and lymph nodes. It is also referred to as metastatic breast cancer.
Diagnosis
To stage breast cancer, or to see if and where the cancer has spread, tests that are done include a chest X-ray, bone scan, CT scan, MRI, ultrasound and PET scan.
Prognosis
The five-year survival rate, meaning the percentage of people who are alive five years after diagnosis, for Stage IV breast cancer is 20 percent. This is a general statistic and does not apply to everyone. The prognosis depends on the response to treatment, new drugs used and characteristics of the cancer.
Causes
Breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body by breaking away from the main tumor and going into the bloodstream or lymphatic system (where infection-fighting cells travel). The cells then form a tumor somewhere else than the original site.
Common Metastatic Sites
Organs that breast cancer usually metastasizes to include the liver, lungs, brain and bones. When tumors form in these organs, it is still breast cancer because they are made up of breast cancer cells.
Treatment
Sometimes surgery and/or radiation are used to provide symptom relief, but Stage IV breast cancer is usually treated with hormone therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapies such as Herceptin, or other drugs depending on the specific characteristics of the person's breast cancer.
