13 Facts About Metastatic Breast Cancer

(Note: published originally by the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network)

1. No one dies from breast cancer that remains in the breast. Metastasis occurs when cancerous cells travel to a vital organ and that is what threatens life. (luckily, I haven't had spread to a "vital" organ, just bones and lymph nodes)

2. Metastasis refers to the spread of cancer to different parts of the body, typically the bones, liver, lungs and brain. (but it can be other tissues, also)

3. An estimated 155,000 Americans are currently living with metastatic breast cancer.(also called Stage IV breast cancer) Metastatic breast cancer accounts for approximately 40,000 deaths annually in the U.S. (so far --more than 8 years now--I've avoided the group of 40,000)

4. Treatment for metastatic breast cancer is lifelong and focuses on control of the disease and quality of life. (Boy, howdy. It's tough to keep quality of life (QOL) and at the same time control the progression of the cancer.  Just ask me.)

5. About 6% of people are Stage IV from their initial diagnosis. (That would be me, lucky me.)
 
6. Early detection does not guarantee a cure. Metastatic breast cancer can occur 5, 10 or 15 years after a person's original diagnosis and successful treatment checkups and annual mammograms. (This is what's so scary for all my friends who've already "had" cancer and are no longer being treated.)

7. 20% to 30% of people initially diagnosed with early stage disease will develop metastatic breast cancer. (Oh, yuck.)
 
8. Young people, as well as men, can be diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. (Yes, I know some.)
 
9. Like early stage breast cancer, there are different types of metastatic breast cancer. (For example, I have Her2+ breast cancer, like about 20% of breast cancer patients have.)

10. Treatment choices are guided by breast cancer type, location and extent of metastasis in the body, previous treatments and other factors. (Those "other factors" include the desires of the patients and what they will and will not suffer in order to try to subdue the disease.)

11. Metastatic breast cancer is not an automatic death sentence. Although most people will ultimately die of their disease, some will live for many years. (Eight years is considered "many" for this condition.)
 
12. There are no definitive prognostic statistics for metastatic breast cancer. Every patient and their disease is unique. (So the data that show that only about 20% of these patients live for 5 years may or may not apply to me.  But wait, it DID apply to me.  Yea, I'm an outlier again.)

13. To learn more about National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day on October 13 and to access resources specifically for people living with metastatic breast cancer and their caregivers, visit www.mbcn.org. (I'm sorry, but I do not "celebrate" on October 13th. I celebrate every day.)