Why did I get metastatic breast cancer? It is not well understood why some breast cancers spread to other areas and others do not. It is also not well understood why some spread relatively early, and may result in de novo metastatic breast cancer, and others do not spread for many years. For those with early-stage breast cancer, surgery aims to remove the cancer that can be seen or felt in the breast and lymph nodes under the arm. Treatments such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapies and hormone-blocking therapies aim to remove the breast cancer cells that may be left in the breast, armpit or other parts of the body, but cannot be detected. Although these treatments reduce the chances that the cancer will recur or spread, there is no 100 per cent guarantee. Metastatic breast cancer means that breast cancer cells can be seen elsewhere in the body, beyond the breast and armpit lymph nodes, on scans or in a needle biopsy. There is no evidence that specific events, such as an operation, another illness or a stressful life event can cause metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer can sometimes be confused with locally advanced breast cancer. Locally advanced breast cancer, also called stage III (3) breast cancer, is an invasive breast cancer that is generally large and may have spread to several lymph nodes in the armpit or near the collarbone or breastbone. It may also involve areas of the breast such as the skin or muscles of the chest wall. Unlike metastatic breast cancer, locally advanced breast cancer has not spread to other parts of the body, such as the bones or other organs.
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Breast Cancer Network Australia
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