why is metastatic cancer difficult to treat?

Question

Why is metastatic breast cancer difficult to treat?

Answer 1

Bad biology: Some metastatic cancer does respond well (eg, testicular cancer), but in general when a cancer has spread beyond the confines of its organ (eg, breast, liver) of origin it is demonstrating bad biologic behavior. That is, it appears to be able to spread distantly and "live" away from it's local primary/original tumor environment.

Answer 2

Degree of Spread: "metastatic" implies that the cancer has spread to distant sites. This means that the cancer is more aggressive and is all over the body. For many kinds of cancers this means that surgery and radiation won't work as well (but that depends on tumor type, location, and degree of spread). The best treatment options for stage IV (metastatic) cancers is chemotherapy and aggressive palliative care.

Answer 3

Yes: In patients with a history of treated cancer, certain symptoms are suggestive of metastatic cancer. Typically these may include: unexplained weight loss, persistent high fevers, drenching night sweats, severe fatigue, severe pain, new seizures, mental changes among others.

Answer 4

Yes: But not always. It depends on the type of cancer and where it has spread. Bone pain, abdominal pain, skin turning yellow, cough, weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, dizziness and headache are some possible symptoms. Sometimes cancer spreads silently and may only show up on imaging tests.

Answer 5

No: It varies widely depending on the type of cancer. This is something to ask your oncologist, and ask him or her to be very honest with you. Although we never know exact time frames, we can usually give you some idea (weeks vs a few months vs six months vs a year or more.).

Answer 6

Very variable: This depends on cancer type, stage, use of treatments and patient performance level mostly. It can range from weeks (brain cancer) to months (pancreatic, lung) to years (breast, colon) and also cures rarely (testicular cancer). There is a lot of variation in survival for patients with the same cancer and stage.

Answer 7

Cancer is beatable: I am not aware of any cancer that is 100% fatal. We have made great strides in curing this disease. At recent as 20-30 years ago childhood leukemia carried high mortality rates, and now we're approaching 90% cure rates. Surround yourself with people who love and support you, and those who are going through something similar, support groups. Laugh. Always think positive and never give up.

Answer 8

Be present now: It may sound cliched but living in the moment is a hugely helpful technique for thriving with and without cancer! I have learned some of my most important life lessons from my dear friend and nurse practitioner, dale, who took great care of herself with weekly massage, acupuncture, laughter and love during her year of breast cancer surgery, chemo and radiation- she's i doing great 3 years later!

Answer 9

Treatable noy surviv: Treatment can be given in stage IV in most cancers it might prolong lifespan by a few weeks, but not significant.

Answer 10

It depends: The symptoms depend on the location of metastasis and the organ involved. General symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss. Often times metastasis can be silent (asymptomatic).

why is metastatic cancer difficult to treat?

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