Breast cancer is a very serious disease. Stage 4 breast cancer is characterized by the fact that metastases are observed not only in the place where the tumor originated, but also in neighboring organs. The prognosis for this disease is unfavorable, the patient's chances for complete healing are minimal. Metastases usually affect the bones, lungs, liver.
In order to increase life expectancy with advanced cancer, you need to turn to various cancer treatments.
How do you know if you are at risk?
Some women are more likely to develop breast cancer. Women who have inflammatory changes in the uterus and ovaries are predisposed to this disease. The risk of pathology in patients suffering from liver diseases and atherosclerosis is high. Bad habits also negatively affect the condition of the breast.
Women whose close relatives have personally experienced breast cancer,should be especially careful. We must not forget that mastopathy is a precancerous condition, so it must be treated in a timely manner.
When should I be concerned?
How do you know if you have breast cancer (stage 4)? Symptoms may include:
- Feeling tired, general weakness, poor appetite.
- Severe pain in the area of the bones. At the same time, unpleasant sensations do not go away with time and gradually increase.
- Appearance of nausea.
- Changes in weight (drastic weight loss).
- Discomfort in the hypochondrium.
- The appearance of a strong cough.
- The onset of a migraine.
How to recognize pathology by external manifestations?
A woman may notice the following adverse signs of illness:
- Nipples change color and shape.
- Swelling occurs on the skin of the breast.
- You can feel the tumor in the chest area yourself.
Diagnosis of disease
Breast cancer stage 4 is a very advanced form of the disease. In order to avoid such a state, it is necessary to regularly carry out preventive measures. An important preventive measure is regular breast self-examination: it should be carried out on the 5-11th day of the menstrual cycle.
Reliable information about your he alth can be obtained through a mammogram. This diagnostic method is highly accurate and painless.
To betan accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct x-ray, MRI, CT, osteoscintigraphy. In case of breast cancer, a breast biopsy is performed and the patient is sent for a blood test. If metastases have affected the liver or lungs, a biopsy of these organs should be taken.
Ductography is also used: this method of detecting pathology consists in introducing a special substance with a contrast into the milk ducts.
Women under the age of 40 are recommended to have an ultrasound examination of the mammary glands. The reliability of this diagnostic method is about 70 percent. If a specialist suspects the development of a low-quality process in the chest area, he prescribes an analysis of the secret released from the nipple.
Survival forecast
A woman's life changes dramatically when she is diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. The survival rate has recently increased slightly, this is due to the fact that recently the pharmaceutical industry has been producing many high-quality drugs for the treatment of the disease, new methods of treating the disease are emerging. Thanks to this, the picture became more rosy: 20 years ago, women suffering from this form of the disease did not live even a year.
But still, sadly, we must prepare for the worst in advance: most patients die within a year and a half from the date of diagnosis. How long do people live with stage 4 breast cancer? It also depends on the body's ability to resist possiblecomplications.
Often the cause of death is not the tumor itself, but the complications it causes. Many women die from a common respiratory disease, because with breast cancer, the body is weak against any infection: the fair sex has a severely reduced immunity.
Only 10% of patients live for more than a year. Relatives of patients should show care and understanding: a woman should adequately spend the last months of her life. The patient should be protected from negative emotions, she should be protected from infection, so the visits of relatives should be limited. The weight of the patient must also be carefully monitored: often patients die of exhaustion.
Breast cancer (stage 4): symptoms and treatment
How can the disease be treated? The goal of therapy is to improve the woman's well-being. It is necessary to prevent the further spread of metastases, to alleviate the symptoms of the disease. The choice of treatment method depends on the following factors:
- The patient is sensitive to the effects of hormones.
- Individual picture of the disease (the effectiveness of previous therapeutic courses).
- Age of the patient.
- Metastasis locations.
- The general condition of the woman.
- Personal opinion of the patient herself. It is important to understand what result she wants to achieve.
How to cure stage 4 breast cancer? The main method of treating the disease is complex drug therapy. Blood must be cleansed of harmful substances. Through this procedure, the statethe patient improves significantly. A blood transfusion will help with anemia, low platelets.
Many patients are deficient in albumin, as breast cancer worsens liver function. In some situations, the patient can not do without the use of intensive care.
Surgical operations are often performed to remove an organ, since without surgery it is impossible to reduce the general intoxication of the body.
Surgical treatment methods
Surgical operations are also currently performed if breast cancer (stage 4) is diagnosed. The treatment is that the mammary gland is removed surgically. This method of treatment occupies a leading position in the treatment of the disease. Mastectomy sometimes removes the breast and lymph nodes in the sternum.
The purpose of radical sectoral resection of the mammary gland is to preserve the organ. During this operation, part of the chest muscles that were affected by the tumor is removed. This operation is not very effective, after which radiation therapy is required.
Metastases are a complicating factor in the disease and may occur if stage 4 breast cancer is detected. Metastases arising from malignant formation in the mammary gland can be neutralized through chemotherapy. It reduces the severity of the symptoms of the disease. The number of chemotherapy sessions is determined by the doctor. The average duration of a chemotherapy course is at least 10 days.
Strengtheningimmunity
In order to strengthen the body, weakened by the disease, use immunotherapy. It activates the body's defenses. Therefore, drugs that increase immunity are prescribed.
Rehabilitation measures applied after the operation are aimed at the psychological adaptation of the woman. If desired, you can perform plastic surgery to restore the breast.
How to relieve severe pain?
If "Codeine" and "Tramadol" in large doses no longer help to cope with pain, strong drugs with a narcotic effect are prescribed. The decision on the advisability of their use should be made by a medical consultation.
Most often, if stage 4 breast cancer is diagnosed, "Morphine" can be used. It well eliminates the pain symptom, but this drug has many contraindications. At its core, it is a strong drug and causes many unwanted side effects. It adversely affects the respiratory system, disrupts the heart rhythm, therefore, when taking this medication, the use of Naloxone is recommended. It will bring the patient back to normal, side effects will become less noticeable. "Morphine" is addictive, so periodically you will have to increase the dosage. Therefore, it should be used as a last resort when the pain becomes unbearable.
When using painkillers, sedatives should also be used, asstage 4 breast cancer can also shake the nervous system. "Imipramine" enhances the analgesic effect of analgesics, calms the nervous system. This will reduce the dose of narcotic drugs.
If pain in the bone tissue is observed during breast cancer, the patient's appetite decreases, Prednisolone should be used.
Used for stage 4 cancer and drugs related to antipsychotics ("Droperidol"). It has a good antiemetic effect, improves a woman's well-being.
Treatment of breast cancer abroad
In Israel, the level of medical care is at a high level. In various clinics in this country you can get high-quality medical care. All diagnostic measures necessary for breast cancer are carried out here. Examination is available on a modern RUTH apparatus. In Israel, you can perform all types of biopsy, including vacuum and stereotaxic.
The main treatment for advanced breast cancer is surgery. After a mastectomy (removal of the mammary glands), silicone implants can be inserted into the breast. The gland is also being reconstructed using the woman's own tissue.
In the complex treatment of the disease, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are carried out. Treatment with various strong medicines is also prescribed (the drug "Herceptin").
You should hope for the best, even if you have breast cancer (stage 4). ForecastSurvival rates are encouraging, with about 10% of patients living with stage 4 breast cancer for about five years. We must use all possible options for treating the disease.
