Today at our cancer clinic , we had a patient with breast cancer metastasized to brain. The patient had undergone partial mastectomy few years back and undergone multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation therapy after the surgery. Few days back she had started feeling loss of balance in her lower extremities gradually increasing to complete lack of power in the legs. She was very well investigated in the cancer hospital, she was being treated in and MRI reports were showing cancerous growth in brain, most probably metastatic changes. She had then undergone few more cycles of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She gained the capacity to move her legs again but soon lost it further.
What is so complicated about metastatic breast cancer?
Usually the convention physicians believe that there are few options for metastatic breast cancer and consider it an incurable condition. But Keep in mind that a recurrence of breast cancer or metastatic (advanced) disease is NOT hopeless. Many women continue to live long, productive lives with breast cancer in this stage. It is also likely that your experience with treatment this time will be somewhat different from last time. There are so many options for your care and so many ways to chart your progress as you move through diagnosis, treatment, and beyond.
Twenty to thirty percent of all women first diagnosed with cancer limited to the breast eventually develop it elsewhere. In 30% to 60% of women with cancer in their lymph nodes when first diagnosed, breast cancer eventually spreads to other parts of the body. The risk of cancer spread depends largely on the tumor size and the number of positive lymph nodes.
Metastatic breast cancer may also occur from a recurrence (return) of breast cancer after initial treatment. There are three types of breast cancer recurrences: local, regional, and distant. Local and regional recurrences are usually less serious than distant recurrences.
Symptoms of metastatic breast cancer may include:
- Bone pain (possible indication of bone metastases)
- Shortness of breath (possible indication of lung metastases)
- Lack of appetite (possible indication of liver metastases)
- Weight loss (possible indication of liver metastases)
- Neurological pain or weakness, headaches (possible indications of neurological metastases)
These symptoms are sometimes but not always associated with metastatic breast cancer, and having one or more of these symptoms does not necessarily mean a woman has metastatic breast cancer. Most women whose breast cancer has metastasized do not show symptoms until the disease is extensive.
Where Can Metastatic Breast Cancer Spread?
Breast cancer can spread to almost any area of the body. The most common regions that breast cancer may spread to in order of frequency are:
- Bone
- Lung
- Liver
- Brain
The likely course of the disease depends on:
- where and how extensively the breast cancer has returned
- the intensity of the cancer that has come back
- how long it’s been since you were last treated for breast cancer
- which cancer treatments you’ve already had
- any other medical problems you have
- your general health
Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer
All of above facts need to be reviewed carefully. Though it is difficult to cure a metastatic breast cancer, the situation is not completely hopeless. Homeopathic medicines chosen after a thorough case review and analysis can offer a better scope of improvement in the metastatic breast cancer symptoms than the usual hormonal treatment in such cases. The CUREplus four step cancer treatment can even be clubbed with your present treatment.