Metastatic breast cancer
Metastatic breast cancer is breast cancer that has traveled away from the breast and nearby lymph
nodes to other parts of the body, such as the bones, lungs, liver or brain. Though cancer at any stage
can become metastatic, metastatic cancer is the term used to refer to stage IV cancer.
The goals of treatment are to:
- shrink or weaken the cancer, and prevent it from spreading further
- relieve symptoms caused by the cancer
- help you live every day with the fewest side effects and best possible quality of life
In this section, you’ll find a basic explanation of breast cancer, how it metastasizes, how metastatic breast cancer is different from early-stage disease and the emotional impact of stage IV disease.
Updated
August 31, 2015
- Learn
- Understanding your diagnosis
- Types of Breast Cancer
- DCIS and LCIS
- Hormone Receptor-Positive
- HER2-Positive
- Triple-Negative
- Metastatic
- Finding out you have MBC
- Complementary and integrative medicine
- Metastatic Breast Cancer & Diet
- Exercise
- Intimacy and Sexuality
- How to support a loved one with MBC
- Talking With Family
- Building Your Community of Support
- Anxiety & Depression
- Navigating Finances
- Understanding Health Insurance
- Work/Life Balance
- How Breast Cancer Metastasizes
- What Makes Metastatic Breast Cancer Different
- Feelings of Loss
- Bone Metastases
- Brain Metastases
- Liver Metastases
- Lung Metastases
- Diagnosis and Testing
- Treatments and Research
- Side Effects
- Bone Health and MBC
- Bone Pain and MBC
- Chemobrain
- Hair Loss and MBC
- Hand-Foot Syndrome and MBC
- Heart Health and MBC
- Insomnia and Fatigue and MBC
- Menopausal Symptoms and MBC
- Mouth Sores and MBC
- Nail and Skin Changes and MBC
- Nausea and Vomiting and MBC
- Neuropathy and MBC
- Neutropenia and MBC
- Pain and MBC
- Sexual Side Effects
- Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer
- Inflammatory
- Lobular
- Diagnosis and Testing
- Treatments and Research
- Getting a Second Opinion
- Preparing for treatment
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation Therapy
- Breast Reconstruction
- Targeted Therapy
- Hormonal Therapy
- Immunotherapy
- Clinical Trials
- Biosimilars
- Complementary Therapy
- Yoga and Breast Cancer
- Side Effects
- Anemia
- Bone Loss
- Bone Pain
- Chemobrain
- Depression and Anxiety
- Diarrhea
- Fear of Recurrence
- Hair Loss
- Hand-Foot Syndrome
- Heart Health
- High Cholesterol
- Insomnia and Fatigue
- Lymphedema
- Menopausal Symptoms
- Mouth Sores
- Nail and Skin Changes
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Neuropathy
- Neutropenia
- Pain
- Secondary Cancers
- Sexual Side Effects
- Weight Gain
- Weight Loss
- Living With Breast Cancer
- Body Image
- Bone Health Basics
- Diet, Nutrition and Exercise
- Emotional Health
- Fear of Recurrence
- Fertility and Breast Cancer
- Genetics and Family Risk
- Job and Financial Concerns
- Breast Cancer and the Workplace
- Telling Employers and Coworkers About Your Diagnosis
- Work Accommodations and Disability Benefits
- Managing hidden costs
- Getting Organized for Health Insurance
- Private, State and Federal Insurance
- Understanding your health insurance
- Dealing With a Claim Denial
- Other Ways to Get Insurance
- Financial Planning
- What is the ACA?
- Sex and Intimacy
- Birth Control and Breast Cancer
- Maintaining Sexual Life
- If You Feel Pain During Sex
- Sexual Side Effects
- Body Image and Sexuality
- Improving Sexual Health With Medical Approaches
- Improving Sexual Health With Self Care
- Talking With Your Partner About Sex and Intimacy
- Talking With Your Healthcare Team About Sex and Intimacy
- Signs of Recurrence
- Learning from Others
- Additional Resources
- Get Support
- How You Can Help
- News & Opinion