Metastatic breast cancer is cancer that reappears later on in life, commonly referred to as recurrence or relapse, but a patient can still seek metastatic breast cancer treatment although chances of recovery are very low. This recurrence occurs even if the cancer had been successfully contained in the breast, meaning it had been prevented from spreading to the lymph nodes. The recurrence can be local, meaning the cancer cells are confined in the breast or the surrounding tissues, or it can be beyond the breast and the surrounding tissues. These distant areas are called metastases. Breast cancer is the most common female cancer and it is a close second, after lung cancer, of all cancers. The cause of breast cancer is still unknown, but women who are in their 40 and above are at greater risk, especially if they have a family history of the disease. Metastatic breast cancer is a serious condition and if a patient gets tired of fighting for her life, it leads to death. The only way of treating metastatic breast cancer is to follow the treatment regime that is used for stage four breast cancer and to hope that it will not recur. This treatment is surgery, chemotherapy and/or endocrine therapy.

Although the metastatic breast cancer survival rate is low because the cancer attacks vital organs in the body such as the liver, treatment will prolong the life of those who are willing to fight. The treatment is meant to delay the progression of the cancer cells, to relieve the symptoms, to prolong life and to improve the quality of life.

The metastatic breast cancer prognosis is that it is not effectively treated by surgery and it is incurable because it spreads to the bones, lungs, liver, etc. However, the prognosis varies with age, the extent and the oestrogen receptor status among other things – young people can even live for years with metastatic breast cancer.

One of the places that metastatic breast cancer affects is the liver. Metastatic breast cancer liver, although a less common case, is very serious and it leads to death quickly. Symptoms of liver metastases are swelling in the upper right abdomen, ache and occasional sharp pains below the rib case in the right side, etc.

Although there is no known cause of metastatic breast cancer, the risk of getting it is related to adverse prognostic factors in the first tumor. These include oestrogen receptor negative disease and large cancerous tumors that are more than 3 cm in diameter. Node positive women are three times more likely to get metastatic breast cancer than node negative women.

When diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, the best thing that one can do is to try and have a better quality life. It is important to note that metastatic breast cancer also affects men. Although some doctors push for metastatic breast cancer treatment, patients should take the time to bid their family and the world goodbye.

There are several reasons why women should get a breast mammogram regularly. All doctors agree that early detection of breast cancer, when it is in stage one, improves the chances of complete containment of the cancer. When caught before spreading to the lymph nodes, the breast cancer cells can be confined and the cancer will not spread. Several clinical studies have been done and they all point towards one direction – deaths from breast cancer can be cut by nearly 40 percent if women over 30 were screened annually. Another reason why women should go for screening is that in 9 out of 10 cases, this type of screening can discover the breast cancer a whole 2 years before a woman can feel a lump – this means waiting until you have a lump is not an effective way of avoiding breast cancer. Having this a breast mammogram is also important in discovering other tumors, be they malignant or benign, and action can be taken for continued breast health.

The fact that mammograms are now readily available, thanks to pressure from non-governmental organizations to governments, means there is no reason anyone should not have the screening. In some hospitals, the services are even offered free of charge. This screening method uses X-ray photographs of the breast and the machine works using the same principle as the normal chest X-ray machine. The breast is sandwiched between two plates and an X-ray beam is passed, giving a picture of the insides of the breast. Doctors are then able to detect abnormalities and they are able to determine the type of tumor because different tumors have different characteristics such as size, shape, etc.

Digital mammography is similar to the X-ray based screening method, the major difference being the fact that the pictures of the insides of the breast are projected onto a computer instead of an X-ray film. This method is advantageous because doctors can manipulate such things as the amount of light, the contrast, etc., meaning they can get more information from the screening.

Many women have a problem with mammography because they doubt the safety of the X-ray dose used. The fact is that a low dose of X-ray is used, which is in the region of 0.1 to 0.2 rad dose per X-ray, a dose that has no adverse effects. People are also apprehensive because they think the compression is painful. The fact is that only firm pressure is applied.

Women should not wait for the breast cancer awareness month to be shocked into getting a breast screening. Breast cancer is one of the greatest killers in the world and women will be doing themselves and their family a favor if they got a screening. Men also get breast cancer and they too should get a breast mammogram from time to time.

Most people are only aware of the cancerous breast tumor, but for continued breast health, there are many other tumors to learn about. There are many types of tumors in the breast, but they all fall under two general categories. These are benign tumors, which means they are not cancerous and they do not have other adverse medical effects and malignant tumors which are cancerous. It is hard for an untrained person to tell between a benign and a malignant tumor and for this reason, any sign of a lump on the breast or under the armpit should be reported to a doctor. This same applies to men although they are at a lower risk of getting breast cancer. It is important to check for lumps when taking a bath or a shower every day. This is because early detection is the only way cancer can be reached and contained before it spreads to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body. However, note that checking for lumps is hardly the most effective way of combating breast cancer because mammograms can detect the cancer 2 to 3 years before a person can feel a lump, meaning there is a chance it will have spread.

When a lump is found on the breast, a mammogram is done to determine what kind of tumor it is. It is not necessary to take further action on benign breast tumors, but if they are painful or they are preventing the breast from functioning properly, they can be removed through such methods as surgery or needle aspiration.

The most common breast tumors that are noncancerous are fibrocystic lumps or cysts. Cysts are basically sacs that are full of fluid. Another common tumor is fibroadenoma, which is a solid lump that rolls around inside the breast. The other common tumor is papilloma, which very small and they are found inside the mammary ducts near the nipple.

Doctors will detect a breast cancer tumor through a mammogram and once this is done, treatment should start immediately because cancer cells multiply very quickly. There are four types of this tumor and these are HER2, basal, luminal A and luminal B. Classification is based on the molecular features of the tumor and the appearance.

Most breast cancer tumors are hard, with the feel of a raw carrot. One way of identifying these tumors is that they are usually irregularly shaped and they have a bumpy feel. Women past their 30s and those who have a history of breast cancer are at a higher risk and they should go for regular screenings.

Any breast tumor should be checked to make sure it is not malignant. Due to breast cancer awareness and the pressure that has been there from non-governmental organizations, many governments and hospitals have invested in machines to do mammograms and the breast tumor detection services are cheap and even free in some cases.

A breast cyst is just a fluid-filled sac found in the breast. It is possible to have many such cysts at the same time and they are distinct from other breast tumors in that they are round or oval and they have distinct edges. Another distinction from other breast tumors is that their texture is like a balloon that is full of water; however, some cysts that are firm. The category of women who are at the greatest risk of getting these cysts are women in their late 30s, 40s and 50s, but it is important to know that unless a woman is undergoing hormone therapy for any reason such as treatment for breast cancer, these cysts usually disappear after a woman has reached menopause. These cysts are formed when normal milk glands grow bigger than natural. The size of a normal cyst can be as small as a bean or as large as a ping pong ball, or more in extreme cases. Although cysts are not dangerous in most cases, it is important to seek medical advice the moment you notice something.

Breast cancer tumors are detected the same way as breast cysts. Women should do self-examination every morning and evening when taking a shower. Since it is hard for an untrained person to differentiate between the two, any lump should be reported to the doctor. When you get to the hospital, a mammogram will be done and if this shows there is a tumor, a breast ultrasound will be done. Only a breast ultrasound that will show what type of tumor it is – whether the lump is fluid-filled or whether it is solid. The breast ultrasound will also determine whether the cyst is complex or simple – this method has near 100% accuracy.

One reason why breasts cysts should be examined is that sometimes they are malignant, although the ratio is one in a thousand. When a breast ultrasound is done, doctors are able to determine whether the tumor is benign or malignant. Unless there is a family history of breast cancer, women with cysts are at no greater risk of getting breast cancer.

When you have cysts in breast that is painful or that you want to remove for any other reason, you may choose to undergo a procedure called needle aspiration. This is a method used to drain or aspirate the cyst and the cyst will disappear. In places where there are no ultrasound machines, this method is used to get samples from the lump for lab analysis.

Diagnostic and not screening mammograms should be done because cysts of breast usually change in size. If the cyst is not disturbing you in any way, there is no need to have it removed, but if it is too big or painful, the breast cyst can be removed.

The value of breast cancer awareness cannot be over-emphasized and the 3 day breast cancer walk is one of the most popular ways of raising this awareness. The breast cancer 3-day is a 60-mile walk that was started, and continues to be, an avenue to raise funds for breast cancer awareness, education, community health programs and money for breast cancer research. All participants in the event are people who are committed to fundraising, training and giving 3 days of their year to the event. Each participant of the 3 day breast cancer walk is required to raise a minimum of $2,300 and to walk about 20 miles each day. The participant must be sixteen and above and those who are not must be accompanied. An impressive 400,000,000 has been raised so far and eighty five percent of the money goes to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the rest goes to the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. By 2010, the name is expected to change to Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure and this organization will be the sole beneficiary.

This is the best known and the most effective walk to raise awareness on cancer, but we have other breast cancer walks that serve the same purpose. One reason why breast cancer awareness is so important is that people continue to walk into hospitals with cancer that has progressed beyond the curable stage. This is complete ignorance because many governments and hospitals, thanks to pressure from non-governmental organizations such as Susan G. Komen for the Cure, have invested in mammograms and the personnel to go breast cancer screenings. The service is very cheap and in some cases, it is even free of charge. People should be educated about this and other things and more money should be invested in research.

When people attend the breast cancer 3 day walk and during the whole breast cancer awareness month, organizations that do not have policies supporting breast cancer awareness and drug companies selling expensive breast cancer chemotherapy drugs and other drugs are put on the spot. This has led to cheaper breast cancer chemotherapy drugs and more awareness and support in the work place.

Another reason to walk for breast cancer is that it makes people remember their loved ones that they may have lost through breast cancer. This is important for the healing process. It is also the time that the world shows compassion for those who have breast cancer and their lives are enriched by the walk, both directly in terms of money raised and indirectly, meaning psychologically and emotionally.

Ribbons and bracelets of other colors are now used for raising awareness of other diseases such as red for AIDS. Different walks such as the 3 day breast cancer walk is a good tradition and it brings out the best in human beings.

If you know what the breast cancer symptoms are, there will be early detection. This means the breast cancer can be treated before it spreads. The fact is that the cure rate for those whose cancer was detected early are very high and in some cases, there is even no need for the removal of the whole breast. It is important for everyone to know about these symptoms because breast cancer is one of man’s biggest killers, being the second biggest killer in the United States. However, in some cases when the symptoms present themselves, the cancer may have spread. For this reason, even as people look for the signs and symptoms, it is important to have regular checks because hospitals have specialized machines that can detect the cancer way before the human eye can. Mammograms are affordable and some hospitals even offer the service free of charge – there is no reason anyone should go without regular checkups.

The most common ways of checking if you have breast cancer, for women and men, is to check for lumps on the breast or the armpit. Any lump should be checked because even lumps that are not cancerous are undesirable. The most common non cancerous lumps are cysts which are just fluid filled sacs, but these will not increase your chances of getting cancer. Lumps can be felt by the human hand up to three years after a mammogram scan would have detected them – this underlines the important of mammograms. These symptoms breast cancer should be checked every morning as you are taking a bath or a shower.

Mankind is different and so symptoms of breast cancer vary from person to person, meaning one person having had certain symptoms and he/she ended up having cancer does not mean the same will happen to you. Some symptoms are very uncommon and this is the reason you should always report anything abnormal in your body to your doctor, even in other parts of the body.

Other common symptoms of this cancer are swelling and skin changes at the breast. However, it is important for women to differentiate between troublesome symptoms and normal breast occurrences, such as the swelling of the breasts at certain points in a woman’s menstrual cycle – however, it is better to be safe than sorry, so seek medical advice if you have this potential breast cancer symptom.

The breast cancer and symptoms can be treated separately or together. Since some of the symptoms can be painful and others can lead to other medical conditions, they can be treated by medication, but the effective treatment for the breast cancer itself is chemotherapy.

Other common breast cancer symptoms are thickening in the breast area, a change in the shape of the breast, the skin of breast having a dimpling effect, a change in the nipple’s shape which can be characterized by the nipple turning in and sinking into the breast, etc.

The most widely used, and by far the most effective way of treating breast cancer is chemotherapy and to aid in this treatment, patients usually take breast cancer chemotherapy drugs. Although chemotherapy is necessary in treating breast cancer, the drugs have side effects. This is because the drugs are made from synthetic substances and since our bodies are meant to ingest organic substances such as those found in the foods we eat, the synthetic substances cause chemical imbalances and other problems in the body and this leads to side effects. Since our bodies are different, these side effects vary from one person to the next, so the fact that breast cancer chemotherapy drugs do not affect one person negatively does not mean they will not affect you. Before taking any breast cancer chemo drug, you should inform the doctor of pre-existing medical conditions because when combined with some medical conditions, some side effects can be fatal.

The drugs taken with chemotherapy for breast cancer work by killing cancer cells to prevent them from dividing quickly and since your blood cells divide quickly too, these drugs effectively lower the number of healthy red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells that you had. This means you will have all effects associated with low blood cells such as likelihood to get infections due to lack of white blood cells, getting tired more easily and likelihood to get bleeding problems such as nosebleeds. You will get mild viral or bacterial infections, but these can be easily treated using antibiotics.

Tiredness or fatigue is by far the most common of the breast cancer chemotherapy side effects. It is important to note that this fatigue will continue even after the treatment has been stopped or ended. Recovery depends on you general health and on the amount of treatment you had in hospital. To make sure you have good health, practice regularly and eat a healthy diet.

The fact is that chemotherapy and breast cancer has some long term side effects. The fatigue or tiredness may never end, the ability of those who had not reached menopause to have children can be in jeopardy, those who were having periods may never have them again after chemo and the drugs, etc. The long term side effects vary from one person to the other.

There are different drugs used with chemotherapy when one has breast cancer and these drugs lead to specific side effects. An example of this is hair loss and thinning and loss of appetite with cyclophosphamide and skin’s sensitivity to sunlight and mouth ulcers with fluorouracil.

Other common side effects are soreness of the mouth, diarrhea, feeling sick or nausea, soreness of the eyes, and some few others. Even with these effects, the fact remains that chemo and breast cancer chemotherapy drugs can add days to one’s life or even cure him/her.

During the breast cancer awareness month, people celebrate by wearing a pink ribbon and a cancer awareness bracelet. These are the items that are mostly associated with breast cancer awareness and those who wear them are usually women who have breast cancer, people who have lost loved ones through breast cancer, people who have a family member who has breast cancer, supporters of the fight against breast cancer, health professionals dealing with people who have breast cancer and the few men who suffer from breast cancer. Humanity has come a long way from the 20′s where doctors where just starting research on the causes and ways of detecting and preventing breast cancer. Due to tools such as breast cancer pink bracelets and ribbons and the breast cancer awareness month, awareness has developed through several stages. These stages include awareness through the media and now many women and men know about breast cancer, early detection through mammograms, knowledge of the treatment options available, etc.

The breast cancer awareness pink color was chosen just as red is used for AIDS awareness and other colors for different things. Due to the awareness through breast cancer pink bracelets and ribbons, a day dedicated to fighting breast cancer and media campaigns, women now accept that it is OK to have breast cancer. Many men who used to get breast cancer were usually in denial, but campaigns stressing the fact that men too can get breast cancer and that early detection can mean 100% cure rate has made them come out. Another thing that has promoted awareness is national organizations that have promoted activism and increased funding for breast cancer research.

When people, including celebrities, sports personalities and politicians, wear a breast cancer awareness bracelet, there is more awareness and it has made parliaments in many countries to take decisive action to fight breast cancer. This has led to increased funding for breast cancer research, adverts on the media raising awareness, investment in machines for early detection of cancer and other actions aimed at helping to combat the disease.

A breast cancer awareness ribbon and the selected day of cancer awareness among other initiatives, awareness has been increased as to the causes of breast cancer. Women who are over the age of 30, especially those who have a family history of breast cancer, know they are at risk and they are now able to take precautions such as regular mammograms.

Because of the increased awareness, women now know that breastfeeding reduces the risk of getting breast cancer. They also know that exercising at least sixty minutes in a week can reduce the risk of getting breast cancer. They now know the right diet if they are to reduce the risk of getting the disease. All in all, breast cancer awareness month is helping to tame one of man’s greatest killers.

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