A diagnosis of breast cancer can be enormously overwhelming and frightening for anyone. But when the diagnosis is that of metastatic breast cancer, the fear can be staggering. This type of cancer is defined as breast cancer that has spread from the breast – the original site of the cancer – to other parts of the body such as the bones, lungs, or liver. The treatment may be devastating to a newly diagnosed patient; but new advances in treatment can help manage symptoms and increase longevity.
When cancer cells break away from the originally affected site, and spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymphatic system, this is referred to as metastatic cancer. When the original cancer site – or primary site, as it is referred to by physicians – is the breast – and cancer cells spread from this location – this becomes known as metastatic breast cancer. The cancer that has moved from the breast and developed in other locations becomes known as the secondary cancer.
