Breast cancer 4 stages: description, causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment characteristics

Breast cancer is a very serious disease. Breast cancer stage 4 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, and liver.

In order to increase the life expectancy for cancer on a late stage, you need to turn to different methods of cancer treatment.

How to understand that you are at risk?

Some women have an increased likelihood of developing a breast cancer. To this disease are predisposed women who have inflammatory changes in the uterus and ovaries. There is a high risk of pathology in patients suffering from liver disease and atherosclerosis. Harmful habits also have a negative effect on the condition of the breast.

Women whose close relatives have personally experienced breast cancer should be especially cautious. Do not forget that mastopathy is a precancerous condition, so it must be treated in a timely manner.

When should I be alerted?

How to understand if you have breast cancer( stage 4)?Symptoms can be as follows:

• Feeling of fatigue, general weakness, poor appetite.
• Severe pain in the area of ​​bones. In this case, unpleasant sensations do not pass with time and gradually increase.
• Appearance of nausea.
• Changes in weight( sudden weight loss).
• Discomfort in the hypochondrium.
• The appearance of a severe cough.
• The onset of migraine.

How to recognize pathology by external manifestations?

A woman may notice the following unfavorable signs of illness:

1. Nipples change color and acquire a different shape.
2. Skin swelling occurs on the skin of the breast.
3. You can feel for yourself a tumor in the chest area.

Diagnosis of the disease

Breast cancer of the 4th stage is a very neglected form of the disease. In order not to reach such a state, it is necessary to regularly carry out preventive measures. An important preventive measure is regular breast self-examination: it should be performed on the 5th-11th day of the menstrual cycle.

Reliable information about your health can be obtained from a mammogram. This method of diagnosis is highly accurate and painless.

In order to make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct radiography, MRI, CT, osteoscintigraphy. With oncological disease of the breast, a breast biopsy is performed and the patient is referred to a blood test. If metastases have affected the liver or lungs, a biopsy of these organs is necessary.

Ductography is also used: this method of pathology detection is that a special substance with contrast is introduced into the milk ducts.

Women under 40 years of age 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 poor-quality process in the area of ​​the breast, he appoints an analysis of the secret secreted from the nipple.

Survival prognosis

A woman's life changes greatly when she was diagnosed with "stage 4 breast cancer."Survival in recent years has slightly increased, this is due to the fact that recently the pharmaceutical industry produces many quality drugs for the treatment of the disease, there are new methods of treating the disease. Thanks to this the picture became more rosy: 20 years ago, women suffering from this form of ailment did not live a year.

But, regrettably, one must prepare for the worst in advance: most of the patients die within one and a half years from the date of diagnosis. How many live with stage 4 breast cancer? This also depends on the ability of the body to resist possible complications.

Often the cause of death is not the tumor itself, but the complications it causes. Many women die from the usual respiratory disease, because with breast cancer, the body is weakly opposed to any infection: the representatives of the fair sex greatly reduced immunity.

Only 10% of patients live more than a year. Native patients should take care and understanding: a woman should adequately spend the last months of life. The patient should be protected from negative emotions, it must be protected from infection, therefore visits of relatives should be limited. The weight of the patient also must be carefully monitored: often patients die from exhaustion.

Breast cancer( stage 4): symptoms and treatment

How can you treat the disease? The goal of therapy is to improve the woman's well-being. It is necessary to prevent further spread of metastases, to alleviate the symptoms of the disease. The choice of method of treatment depends on the following factors:

• The presence of the patient's sensitivity to hormones.
• Individual pattern of disease( effectiveness of previous therapeutic courses).
• Aged patient.
• Locations of metastases.
• General condition of women.
• The personal opinion of the patient herself. It is important to understand what kind of result it wants to achieve.

How to cure breast cancer of the 4th stage? The main method of treating the disease is complex drug therapy. Blood must be cleaned of harmful substances. Thanks to this procedure, the patient's condition improves significantly. Transfusion of blood will help with anemia, a reduced level of platelets.

Many patients have a deficiency of albumin, since liver cancer worsens in breast cancer. In some situations, the patient can not do without the use of intensive care.

Often performed surgical operations to remove the organ, since without surgery it is impossible to reduce the total intoxication of the body.

Methods of surgical treatment of

Currently, surgical operations are also performed if breast cancer is diagnosed( stage 4).The treatment is that the mammary gland is removed surgically. This method of treatment takes a leading position in the therapy of the disease. In mastectomy, in some cases, the mammary gland and lymph nodes in the sternum are removed.

The goal of radical sectoral breast resection is the preservation of the organ. In this operation, a part of the muscles of the breast are extracted, which were affected by the tumor. This operation is not very effective, after which radiation therapy is necessary.

Metastases are a complicating factor of the disease and can occur if breast cancer is detected in stage 4.Metastases that occur with malignant formation in the mammary gland can be neutralized by chemotherapy. It reduces the severity of the symptoms of the disease. The number of sessions of chemotherapy is determined by the doctor. The average duration of the chemotherapy course is at least 10 days.

Strengthening the immunity of

In order to strengthen the body, weakened by the disease, use immunotherapy. It activates the work of the body's defenses. Therefore, drugs that increase immunity are prescribed.

Rehabilitation measures used after the operation, aim to psychological adaptation of a woman. If desired, you can perform a plastic surgery to restore the breast.

How to relieve severe pain?

If "Codeine" and "Tramadol" in large doses do not help to cope with the pain, prescribe strong drugs that have a narcotic effect. The decision on the appropriateness of their use should be made by a medical consultation.

Most often, if breast cancer is diagnosed in stage 4, Morphine can be used. It nicely eliminates the pain symptom, but this drug has many contraindications. At its core, it is a powerful drug and causes many undesirable side effects. It adversely affects the respiratory system, disturbs the heart rhythm, therefore, when taking this medication, the use of "Naloxone" is recommended. He will bring the patient back to normal, side effects will become less noticeable."Morphine" is addictive, so you will periodically need to increase the dosage. Therefore, it should be used in the extreme case, when the pain becomes intolerable.

When using pain medications, you need to use sedative medications, since breast cancer of stage 4 can shake the nervous system."Imipramine" enhances the analgesic effect of analgesics, calms the nervous system. This will reduce the dose of narcotic drugs.

If there is bone pain in cancer of the breast, the patient's appetite decreases, Prednisolone should be used.

Used for stage 4 cancer and drugs related to neuroleptics( "Droperidol").It has a good antiemetic effect, improves the well-being of a woman.

Treatment of breast cancer abroad Abroad

In Israel, the level of medical care is at a high level. In various clinics in this country, you can get quality medical help. Here all the diagnostic measures necessary for breast cancer are carried out. A survey is available on a modern RUTH apparatus. In Israel, you can perform a biopsy of all kinds, including vacuum and stereotactic.

The main method of treatment of breast cancer at a late stage is surgical intervention. After mastectomy( removal of mammary glands), silicone implants can be inserted into the chest. Performing and restoration of the gland with the use of a woman's own tissue.

In complex treatment of the disease, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are carried out. Appointed and treated with various strong medicines( drug "Herceptin").

One should hope for the best, even if you have breast cancer( stage 4).The prognosis of survival is encouraging, because about 10% of patients live with the fourth stage of breast cancer about five years. It is necessary to use all possible treatment options for the disease.