Metastatic Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States.¹  Metastatic breast cancer (mBC) is breast cancer that has metastasized or spread from the original tumor in the breast to another part of the body, such as the bones, liver, lungs or brain.²

mBC (also referred to as late-stage breast cancer) is different from early-stage breast cancer. Most people with the disease will receive medicine for the rest of their lives. Currently, there is no cure for mBC and more treatment options are needed.

Common Types of mBC

• Risk Factors¹

  

  
  

  • Gender
  • Age
  • Family history of breast cancer
  • Genetics
  • History of breast conditions

  • Age of first menstrual period
  • Obesity
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Physical inactivity
  • Race

  
  

  All risk factors above may contribute to a person's risk of developing breast cancer, which can lead to mBC.
• Signs & Symptoms^2,4

  Symptoms for breast cancer may include a new lump or mass, skin -peeling, flaking, redness, etc. Symptoms may also be based on where the cancer has spread.

  • Lungs: shortness of breath
  • Liver: abdominal swelling or jaundice (yellowing of skin)
  • Bones: pain or bone fractures
  • Brain: headaches, seizures and unsteadiness

  mBC symptoms vary based on a person's condition. Some people have no symptoms.

• Treatment

  The American Society of Clinical Oncology recommends all people with breast cancer receive a diagnostic test to identify certain tumor characteristics, such as HER2 status and hormone receptor status.⁸

  Treatment Factors²
  
  

  • Type of mBC
  • Size of tumor
  • How far the cancer has advanced
  • Person's age and overall health
  • Previous treatment
  • Tumor characteristics

  Treatment Options²
  
  

  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiation therapy
  • Targeted therapy
  • Hormone treatments
  • Surgery
  • Investigational medicines
  • Combination of above options

• References

  ¹ American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2012. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2012. http://www.cancer.org. Accessed March 7, 2012.

  ² National Cancer Institute. Metastatic Cancer: Questions and Answers. Bethesda: National Cancer Institute; 2012. http://www.cancer.gov. Accessed March 7, 2012.

  ³ O'Shaughnessy J. Extending Survival with Chemotherapy in Metastatic Breast Cancer. The Oncologist. 2005;10(suppl 3):20-29.

  
  

  ⁴ American Cancer Society. Signs and symptoms of breast cancer. http://www.cancer.org. Accessed May 31, 2012

  ⁵ Pegram M, Slamon D. Biological rationale for HER2/neu (c-erbB2) as a target for monoclonal antibody therapy. Semin Oncol. 2000;27(suppl 9):13-19.

  
  

  ⁶ Press MF, Bernstein L, Thomas PA, et al. HER-2/neu gene amplification characterized by fluorescence in situ hybridization: poor prognosis in node-negative breast carcinomas. J Clin Oncol. 1997;15:2894-2904.

  ⁷ Nadji et al. Immunohistochemistry of Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors Reconsidered. Am J Clin Pathol. 2005;123:21-27.

  ⁸ Cancer.Net. ASCO's Guideline on Tumor Markers for Breast Cancer. Alexandria: American Society of Clinical Oncology; 2012. http://www.cancer.net. Accessed March 7, 2012.