Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis Treatment ~ Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a cancer that originates in the tissue (sarcoma) or glands/ducts of the breast (adreoncarcinoma). It is far more common in women then men, and is often diagnosed by the presence of a lump found during a mammogram or breast exam. If found early, breast cancer is relatively treatable using a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. However, metastatic or Stage IV breast cancer is not a curable disease, and metastases often occur in the bones, liver or lungs. Although it can't be cured, new developments have helped to improve quality of life and increase longevity for patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Bone metastases is common in Stage IV breast cancer. Often, bone metastases is symptomatic and is accompanied by bone pain at the site of the metastasis. Although the metastasis and the cancer are not curable, advances in medicine, including the use of radiation therapy, tamoxifen and bisphosphonates have improved the quality of life for patients with bone metastasis and have improved prognosis and 5 year survival rates for affected patients. Systemic therapies, including chemotherapy and hormone therapy, have also helped in the treatment of bone metastasis caused by breast cancer.

Chemotherapy can help shrink tumors and reduce pain associated with metastatic cancer. While chemotherapy will not cure the cancer in the bone or eliminate it completely, it can help reduce the amount of cancer cells present, which alleviates pain and extends lifespans. Common side effects include loss of appetite, baldness, nausea and mouth sores.

Bisphosphonates are a relatively new class of drugs that have made a difference in the treatment of bone metastasis caused by breast cancer. Bisphosphonates help to treat weakness in the bones caused by metastases. Bisphosphonates work in four ways: they slow damage to the bone caused by cancer, they help maintain normal calcium levels in the blood, they reduce bone pain and they lower the risk of bone fractures caused by metastases.

Radiopharmaceuticals refers to a group of drugs, given intravenously, that have radioactive elements. The drugs target and settle in spots where cancer has formed in the bone and help to eliminate some of these metastatic cancer cells. This reduces pain and is far more precise and effective than the use of external radiation beams. A single injection of a radiopharmaceutical drug can reduce or eliminate bone pain for up to a year after it is administered. This type of treatment works best for bone metastases that stimulates the bone cells to form new bone areas in the body.

Some breast cancers are hormone receptive, which means estrogen aids the growth of the cancer. Hormone receptive cancers can be slowed by blocking access to estrogen. Removing the ovaries or providing hormone blocking drugs can thus slow the metastatic process.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer with Bone Metastasis eHow
www.ehow.com Health Cancer Breast Cancer
Most of us are quite familiar with the regular symptoms of breast cancer, such as the presence of a lump within the tissue in or around the breast or chest, a ...
Elizabeth Edwards and bone metastases from breast cancer ...
scienceblogs.com/.../03/23/elizabeth-edwards-and-bone-metastases-fr-1
As odd as it seems, my timing in posting about removing chemotherapy ports yesterday was eerily coincidental. Ive alluded to this before, but Im most definitely ...
Questions and Answers About Breast Cancer, Bone Metastases ...
www.boneandcancerfoundation.org/pdfs/Breast_Cancer_Q+A.pdf PDF file
Questions and Answers About Breast Cancer, Bone Metastases, & Treatment-Related Bone Loss A Publication of The Bone and Cancer Foundation
Breast Cancer Stage IV w/ Bone and Liver Metastases - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxALxUEXf8I
Lucia Lizotte. After 8 months of Issels Treatment bone metastases of sternum disappeared and 4 of 5 liver metastases gone. February 2008, Lucia in her own ...
Breast Cancer: Integrative Treatment Program CTCA
www.cancercenter.com/breast-cancer
At CTCA, we fight breast cancer with advanced medical treatments that help patients experience a better quality of life. Learn more about our breast cancer treatment ...
Breast Cancer w/ Lung and Bone Metastases - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdF3YvvdXNo
Quynh Trinh Breast Cancer with multiple bone metastases and collapsed right lung due to multiple lung metastases, oxygen dependency 24 hours/day. Within 4 ...
A primer of bone metastases management in breast cancer patients
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Curr Oncol v.15(Suppl 1); Jan 2008
Bone is the most common site for distant spread of breast cancer. Following a diagnosis of metastatic bone disease, patients can suffer from significant morbidity ...
Implications of Bone-Only Metastases in Breast Cancer:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Cancer Res Treat v.43(2); Jun 2011
Jun 30, 2011 Between 1994 and 2007, of 968 patients with metastatic breast cancer who underwent palliative management at Samsung Medical Center, 565 (57%)
Is breast cancer with bone metastases (with or without lymph
www.researchgate.net/post/Is_breast_cancer_with_bone_metastases...
Is breast cancer with bone metastases (with or without lymph node mets) a unique subset of Stage IV Breast Cancer and associated with better survival?
Breast cancer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_cancer
Breast cancer is a type of cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk.
Breast Cancer - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment of Breast Cancer ...
health.nytimes.com Times Health Guide b
Breast cancer is cancer that starts in the tissues of the breast. There are two main types of breast cancer: Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes (ducts) that move ...
Breastcancer.org Discussion Boards - Breast Cancer Discussion
community.breastcancer.org
Breast Cancer Discussion Forums - Access the shared knowledge of thousands of people affected by breast cancer
Symptoms Of Brain Metastasis From Breast Cancer
www.livestrong.com Women's Health Breast Cancer Symptoms
Dec 22, 2009 Symptoms of Brain Metastasis From Breast Cancer. Brain metastasis occurs when the cancer spreads out from the breast and a secondary tumor is
Prognosis of Metastatic Breast Cancer in the Bone eHow
www.ehow.com Health Cancer Breast Cancer
If your breast cancer has spread to the bone, you have stage four breast cancer. While doctors use certain statistics to give a general prognosis, no one can predict ...
What is the prognosis for bone metastasis of breast cancer ...
answers.yahoo.com Health Diseases & Conditions CancerLast updated: Jul 25, 2008 5 posts First post: Jul 25, 2008
Jul 25, 2008 Best Answer: It's not possible for anyone but the individual's doctors to say. I would think it depends on a number of factors, including the extent of the ...
Breast Cancer Treatment - Surgery, Chemotherapy, Hormonal ...
www.knowcancer.com/cancer-types/breast-cancer/treatment
The treatment of breast cancer involves treatment of the primary tumor with surgery, radiation therapy, or both, as well as systemic treatment with chemotherapy ...
Bone Metastasis Treatment with Bisphosphonates Oncolink - Cancer ...
www.oncolink.org/types/article.cfm?c=708&id=9629
A look at bone metastases and medications used to treat them.
Breast Cancer Metastatic to Bone: Questions & Answers About ...
www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/331/7069/33120.html?d=dmt...
How common is breast cancer in the United States today and how is it diagnosed and initially treated? How often does the initially treated breast cancer return?
Metastatic Cancer Fact Sheet - National Cancer Institute
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/metastatic
A fact sheet about metastasis, the spread of cancer to other parts of the body. Discusses the diagnosis and treatment of cancer that has spread.
Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ) - National Cancer Institute
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/breast/Patient/page5
Expert-reviewed information summary about the treatment of breast cancer.
JAMA Network JAMA Association of Occult Metastases in
jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1104148
Association of Occult Metastases in Sentinel Lymph Nodes and Bone Marrow With Survival Among Women With Early-Stage Invasive Breast Cancer FREE
WebMD Breast Cancer Center: Types, Symptoms, Causes,
www.webmd.com WebMD Home Cancer Health Center
The five year survival rate of breast cancer is over 90% when caught early. Get in-depth breast cancer information here including symptoms
Breast Cancer Research
breast-cancer-research.com
Online and print journal covering topics of basic and clinical research relevant to breast cancer. Research articles are free to all users.
Breast Cancer Research Full text Bone marrow-derived ...
breast-cancer-research.com/content/14/3/R81
Research article Bone marrow-derived, alternatively activated macrophages enhance solid tumor growth and lung metastasis of mammary carcinoma cells in a Balb/C mouse ...