Prognosis of Metastatic Breast Cancer in the Bone
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 how long you will survive a particular type and stage of cancer.
Determining Prognosis
Survival statistics are available for all types of cancer. The most common type of data are the five-year survival statistics. These statistics track the number of people with a particular type and stage of cancer who are still alive after five years. Doctors use this as a guideline. Several other individual factors come into play, as well.
Considerations about Statistics
While the five-year statistics provide doctors a general picture, they cannot solely predict your survival. Also, these statistics are based on patients who were treated several years ago and may not be an accurate reflection if you were diagnosed recently.
Prognosis of Stage Four Breast Cancer
The five-year survival rate for stage four breast cancer is 20 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. They note that this statistic indicates relative survival. Women with breast cancer who died of causes other than breast cancer were not included when calculating this data.
Determining Treatments
At this stage of breast cancer, a cure is unlikely. Treatments aim to reduce symptoms such as radiation to ease pain from cancer that has spread to the bones, and to control cancer growth and possibly prolong survival. Some patients might not opt for any sort of treatment. Your doctor can discuss all the risks and benefits of each treatment.
Experimental Treatments and Clinical Trials
Since many stage four cancers are incurable, some patients are willing to try experimental treatments or enroll in clinical trials that test treatments for end-stage cancer. Your doctor is a good source of information.
Tags: breast cancer, breast cancer, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Bone, Cancer Bone, five-year survival
