Stage 4 Breast Cancer

Stage 4 breast cancer is the most serious condition, and the spread of breast cancer at this time is relatively fast. It is basically incurable and will greatly shorten the patient's life span. However, the patient cannot give up treatment. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can be used to control the spread of breast cancer, and then maintaining an optimistic attitude to fight the disease can increase the patient's life span, so the patient must cooperate with the doctor's treatment.

What is the survival rate for stage 4 breast cancer?

Breast cancer stages are based on how far the cancer has spread and how aggressive it is. Stage I breast cancer has not metastasized and is easier to cure completely. As the stage increases, the degree of malignancy also increases. Stage IV breast cancer is already in the late stage and has extensive metastasis. The lymph node masses in the affected armpit have been fixed and can also metastasize to lymph nodes in other parts of the body (such as above the clavicle or the opposite armpit). In addition, it can also metastasize through the bloodstream to tissues and organs such as the lungs, liver, bones, and brain. Surgical treatment as soon as possible is an effective way to prolong life.

Radiotherapy can be considered for lymph node metastasis to control the disease. However, radiotherapy can cause adverse reactions of varying degrees in each patient. Some people have mild reactions without obvious symptoms, while others have severe reactions. The most common adverse reactions are: fatigue; dry, itchy, chapped or blistering skin; loss of armpit hair; nausea, stomach pain, abnormal taste, loss of appetite, etc. Supplementing patients with appropriate amounts of zinc and vitamin B complex (B6 is also acceptable) and traditional Chinese medicine such as ginsenoside Rh2 can relieve some of the discomfort symptoms caused by radiotherapy. How long a person lives depends on the patient's specific condition and physical condition.

What are the four stages of breast cancer?

1. Stage I: The cancer mass is less than 2 cm in diameter and has not metastasized to other tissues.

2. Stage II: The cancer mass is larger than 2 cm and smaller than 5 cm in diameter. The skin may have orange peel-like changes or nipple retraction. Enlarged lymph nodes can be felt in the ipsilateral axilla. There may also be no lymph node metastasis but distant metastasis, or no distant metastasis.

3. Stage III: The cancerous mass is larger than 5 cm and ulcerated, with infiltration and adhesion to the surrounding tissues, and has affected the pectoralis major muscle. There are multiple enlarged lymph nodes in the ipsilateral fossa, which are fused into masses. Sometimes supraclavicular lymph nodes can also be felt, and there are signs of metastasis to distant organs.

4. Stage IV: The size of the cancer mass is not important. There may be multiple lymph node metastases in the ipsilateral axilla. What is important is that metastasis to distant organs is more obvious, such as the lungs, liver, brain and female reproductive system, all of which belong to this stage.

Through the above introduction to the survival rate of stage 4 breast cancer and the four stages of breast cancer, everyone has already understood that the most important thing to prolong life is to cooperate with treatment in time and maintain an optimistic attitude.