What is metastatic breast cancer?

Metastatic breast cancer is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. It is considered advanced-stage cancer.

Symptoms of metastatic breast cancer

Symptoms of metastasis may vary for where the cancer cells have spread to different parts of the body.

Bone metastasis from breast cancer

Severe, progressive pain

Swelling

Bones that are more easily fractured or broken

Brain metastasis from breast cancer

Persistent, progressively worsening headache or pressure to the head

Vision disturbances

Seizures

Vomiting or nausea

Behavioral changes or personality changes

Liver metastasis from breast cancer

Jaundice

Itchy skin or rash

Abnormally high enzymes in the liver

Abdominal pain, appetite loss, nausea, and vomiting

Lung metastasis from breast cancer

Chronic cough or inability to get a full breath

Abnormal chest X-ray

Chest pain

Treatment for metastatic breast cancer

When cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body, surgery may not be suitable for this situation and hard to remove all the cancer cells while minimally invasive treatment can bring a better outlook than the surgery does. Let us see what options do you have for metastatic breast cancer.

Interventional therapy

Interventional therapy is done under the guidance of medical imaging equipment wherein the anti-cancer drugs are injected directly to the blood supplying artery of the tumor which effectively shrinks the tumor. Compared with the traditional chemotherapy, interventional therapy targets the tumor precisely and brings lesser side effects to the body; the drug concentration of anticancer drug inside the tumor is much higher than the conventional chemotherapy because it is directly infused into the tumor and so it brings better efficacy.

Green chemotherapy

Green chemotherapy is a new type of chemotherapy which is different from the intravenous chemotherapy. Intravenous chemotherapy can cause the side effects. In accordance with human biological clock, anticancer drugs will be given when tumor cells are actively and believed to be most susceptible while normal cells inactive. In this way, minimal dose of medicine can achieve best effects with lowest side effects to the body.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy also called cryosurgery, Ar-he knife, is done by releasing Argon gas to lower the temperature and freeze the tumor and the surrounding tissue; then the He gas is released to thaw the frozen tumor thus destroying it in the process.

Microwave ablation (MWA)

In microwave ablation, a probe will be inserted into tumors, and micro electromagnetic waves will be released to destroy and ablate the cancerous tissues directly. Targeting clearly and affecting intensely on the tumor, MWA won’t produce obvious side effects to normal tissues.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy is to use drugs or other substances to precisely identify and attack cancer cells, which bring little damage to normal cells. In Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou, we provide gene targeted therapy, which targets the root of disease by correcting the abnormal gene. Targeted therapy brings no trauma to the body and lesser side effect to the patients.

Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy is to stop estrogen from affecting breast cancer cells. Some types of breast cancer are affected by hormones in the blood so the hormone therapy is suitable to some of the breast cancer patients. You need to know the type of breast cancer so that doctor knows if the hormone therapy works for you.

Chinese medicine therapy

In Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou, doctor combines the Chinese medicine therapy with other treatments. Chinese medicine therapy effectively helps you prevent or alleviate the side effects, which may be caused by other treatments. Moreover, Chinese medicine therapy also helps you boost the immune system to prevent cancer recurrence.

When you come to Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou, we MDT (multidisciplinary team) will conduct a careful check-up for you and doctors will discuss and find out a personalized treatment plan for your metastatic breast cancer plan. If you want to know what treatment options are suitable for you, you are welcome to consult with us via online consultation or call at 02-8-8221222/63-922-8083333/63-915-4642818. We are here 24/7 to answer your questions.

*Surgery, in addition to the appropriate chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are effective in treating early cancer, but certain patients in late stage of cancer may not be tolerate surgery well as they can be relatively weak. A combination of carefully planned minimally invasive therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy can effectively reduce the side effects and discomfort of treatment and may help patient get better efficacy.