How is it found and diagnosed? Metastatic breast cancer may be found on scans that are done at the time of a diagnosis of primary breast cancer. It may be found on scans that are done to investigate symptoms that have occurred months or years after a diagnosis of early breast cancer, or scans and other tests that are done for completely unrelated reasons. It may be clear from the scans, or it may be necessary to take a needle biopsy of the cancer and send it to the laboratory to confirm the diagnosis and/or type of cancer. Why was it not found earlier? It is important to understand that finding metastatic breast cancer earlier does not necessarily change the results of treatment. Whenever metastatic breast cancer is found, it can be treated, but cannot currently be cured. You may feel like you should have had more tests and scans as part of your routine follow-up care after a diagnosis of early breast cancer. However, research shows that having more tests does not improve the length or quality of life of people who have been treated for early breast cancer and do not have concerning symptoms. Regular tests are also avoided because of concern about the excessive radiation exposure from repeated scans. Am I going to die soon? When you first hear that you have metastatic breast cancer, it is normal to wonder if this means you will die soon. Although metastatic breast cancer is currently not considered curable, it is treatable and, for some people, can be controlled for years. A small number of people have been in remission from metastatic breast cancer for so long that it is though they may be cured. It is hoped that with increasingly effective treatments in coming years, this will not be such a rare occurrence.
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Metastatic breast cancer: an introduction
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