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submitted: Jul 19th 2008 | by: RayLam | Total views: 1 | Word Count: 545 | |

America received a shocking piece of news in March 2007. John Edward's wife, Elizabeth, had been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. She spoke calmly, with inner strength, about how she had asked her husband to continue his presidential campaign, and how she wanted to campaign by his side. She did not want to be best known by her illness; she wanted, in fact, needed, to carry on as normally as she could.

Cancer is defined by four different stages and metastatic breast cancer is defined as stage 4 and it means that the cancer has spread beyond the breast and underarm lymph nodes to other part of the body. Another way to explain this is that the cancer cells have migrated and are now growing outside of the original tumor.

Women who have stage IV breast cancer usually receive chemotherapy and or hormonal therapy to destroy cancer cells and control the disease. They may have surgery or radiation therapy to control the cancer in the breast. Radiation may also be useful to control tumors in other parts of the body. The symptoms of metastatic breast cancer varies depend on where the cancer is and how large it is.

Treatment plans may include surgery wherein the cancerous growths are removed from the body; radiation during which affected cells are attacked with pinpoint x-ray technology; and chemotherapy which exposes the patient to a course of intravenous drug therapy designed to stop the growth of cancer cells. In most cases, however, a combination of several therapies will be used in order to achieve the greatest chance of success. There are also experimental and holistic therapies that patients often try in conjunction with other therapies and under the guidance of their doctor. As the needs of each patient vary, so do the treatment plans.

The most common secondary locations are the lungs, brain, liver, and bones. Metastatic breast cancer is certainly not confined to these locations and not all may be affected; these are statistically the most frequently affected areas. However it is not defined as cancer that has spread to any places close to the breast such as skin, muscles underneath or around the breast, or bones nearby the primary cancer location.

Treatment is palliative, improving quality of life, relieving symptoms and aimed at extending a woman's lifetime. But there are new treatments coming that are giving more hope to those patients with this cancer. Many women with this illness choose to become part of a clinical trial in order to access treatments that are not yet approved by the FDA.

Palliative care to relieve symptoms from both the cancer and treatment involves drug and non-drug treatments such as relaxation therapy, acupuncture, and dietary management. Besides physical symptoms, palliative care for patients who are being treated or who cannot be cured focuses on spiritual and emotional needs, as well as physical needs.

North American white women have the highest rates of breast cancer in the world, but the 5-year survival rate for all stages (Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, and Stage 4) combined is 88% for the U.S. A recent study found European countries have lower 5-year breast cancer survival rates, with England at 77.8% and Ireland at 76.2% (Lancet Oncology). The difference in these survival rates is usually attributed to life-saving early detection.

About the Author

Learn about breast cancer metastasis and get a limited FREE report on Latest Breast Cancer Drugs by visiting http://breast-cancer-remedy.info, a popular website that provides free breast cancer care advice.

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