Metastatic Breast Cancer
(28/10/09)
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women – accounting 31% of cancers in women in Europe
What is Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC)?
The term, metastatic, describes a cancer that has spread to distant organs from the original tumor site. Metastatic breast cancer is the most advanced stage of breast cancer. Cancer cells have spread past the breast and axillary (underarm) lymph nodes to other areas of the body where they continue to grow and multiply.
Metastatic breast cancer has the same kind of abnormal cells as the primary cancer, even though it is in a different part of the body.
For example, if breast cancer spreads to the liver, the cancer cells in the liver are actually breast cancer cells. The secondary malignant disease is metastatic breast cancer not liver cancer.
Breast Cancer signs & symptoms
Although a lump in the breast is the most common presenting symptom of breast cancer, a variety of other symptoms may be present including pain, discharge and bleeding, change in the size/shape of the breast, skin/nipple changes and enlarged lymph nodes.
Breast Cancer prognosis
The prognosis of breast cancer correlates with disease stage at diagnosis. Thus, the goal of staging is to gather adequate prognostic information to guide therapy, taking into account the associated risks. It is important to establish:
- the origin and type of the tumour, particularly the presence of hormone receptor and other non hormonal receptors such as Her-2
- how far the tumour has spread or metastasised
- other factors, such as menopausal status and the presence of concomitant disease, that may influence the treatment plan
Breast Cancer treatment
The goals of treatment in breast cancer are:
- in early stage breast cancer: to cure the patient and to prevent or delay recurrence of the disease for as long as possible
- in metastatic breast cancer: to stabilize the disease, relieve symptoms, improve quality of life and prolong survival in patients
Treatment of breast cancer may involve one or more of the following:
- surgery
- Radiation
- Systemic therapies
o Hormone (endocrine) therapy
o Chemotherapy (cytotoxics)
o Biological therapy
Improving survival rates in breast cancer remains a high priority
Survival depends strongly on the disease stage at diagnosis, and the use of screening mammograms is helping to improve early detection rates in some countries2. The development of new therapeutic options that improve overall survival for patients with MBC is a high priority.
Dr. Anne Bancillon
MSL European Director
Medical Affairs
Cephalon Europe
1. Parkin DM, Bray F, Ferlay J, Pisani P. Global cancer statistics, 2002. CA Cancer J Clin 2005;55:74-108. 2.Sant M, Allemani C, 2. Capocaccia R, Hakulinen T, Aareleid T, Coebergh JW, et al. Stage at diagnosis is a key explanation of differences in breast cancer survival across Europe. Int J Cancer 2003;106:416-22.
3. Gennari A, Conte P, Rosso R, Orlandini C, Bruzzi P. Survival of metastatic breast carcinoma patients over a 20-year period: a retrospective analysis based on individual patient data from six consecutive studies. Cancer 2005;104:1742-50.
4. Andre F, Slimane K, Bachelot T, Dunant A, Namer M, Barrelier A, et al. Breast cancer with synchronous metastases: trends in survival during a 14-year period. J Clin Oncol 2004;22:3302-8.