Topic Overview
Is this topic for you?
This topic provides
information about breast cancer that has spread or come back after treatment.
If you are looking for information about first-time diagnosis and treatment of
breast cancer, see the topic
Breast Cancer.
What are metastatic and recurrent breast cancer?
occurs when abnormal cells grow out of
control in one or both breasts. All treatments for breast cancer work
best when the cancer is found early.
But even after
treatment that seemed to work, cancer can come back (recur) or spread
(metastasize) to other parts of the body. Cancer that comes back in or near the
original site is called locally recurrent breast cancer. Cancer that spreads to
other parts of the body is called metastatic breast cancer.
For
most women who have had breast cancer, their greatest fear is that the cancer
will come back or spread. Finding out this has happened can turn your world
upside down. But there is hope. Treatment may cure locally recurrent breast
cancer. Although metastatic breast cancer usually cannot be cured, treatment
can help you manage the disease and live longer. Some women live for many
years, managing their cancer like a long-term health problem.
Why does breast cancer come back after treatment?
Even with the best treatment, cancer can come back. If just a few cancer cells remain in your body after your initial treatment, those cells can spread through
the blood or
and grow. This may happen from a few
months to many years after the first diagnosis.
If your breast
cancer has come back, you may be tempted to second-guess your previous
treatment choices. But the fact is, there is no guarantee with any
treatment.
The treatment decisions you and your doctor made in the
past were the right ones at that time. But now it is time to make new decisions
and explore other treatment options.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms depend on
where the cancer is and how large it is. The most common places for breast
cancer to spread are within the breast or to the nearby chest wall or to the
liver, lungs, or bones. Common symptoms include a lump in your breast or on
your chest wall, bone pain, or shortness of breath.
You may not
have any symptoms. Sometimes recurrent or metastatic breast cancer is found
with an X-ray or lab test.