Stage 4 breast cancer is the most fatal type of breast cancer; patients diagnosed with this type of cancer have a low rate of survival, although certain procedures and treatments can be attempted.
Survival Rate
Only one in five patients diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer survives more than five years after diagnosis, according to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database.
Percentage
According to the book "Cancer of The Breast," Stage 4 breast cancers account for 3 to 6 percent of all breast cancers.
Definition
Stage 4 breast cancer means that cancer has spread beyond the breast and metastasized to other organs (e.g., the brain, lung or liver).
Surgical Procedures
In the past, it was thought that surgical resection of the primary tumor would not improve survival of patients diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. However, according to a 2008 study published in "Annals of Surgery," surgical removal of the primary tumor increases a stage 4 patient's survival rate by 50 to 70 percent.
Potential Treatment
Early results of clinical trials have shown that adjuvant chemotherapy drugs, such as Herceptin and Avastin, can improve survival of stage 4 breast cancer.
References
- Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database: Breast Cancer Survival
- "Annals of Surgery", Association of Surgery With Improved Survival in Stage IV Breast Cancer Patients, Blanchard et al., May 2008 - Volume 247 - Issue 5 - pp 732-738
- "Cancer Of The Breast", Donegan, W., & Spratt, J. (2002). Elsevier Science.
