Minimizing Your Cancer Risk Through Regular Screenings
- Actress Patricia Arquette, 56, is urging women to stay current with breast cancer screenings after losing her mom, who was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer.
- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women at average breast cancer risk begin screening at age 40. Women with the BRCA gene mutation, who have a family history of cancer, or have dense breasts are at higher risk and should talk with doctors about screening earlier.
- SurvivorNet experts recommend performing a monthly breast self-exam to look for anything unusual with your breasts as well.
- Patients diagnosed with advanced cancer, like Arquette’s mother was, may want to consider enrolling in a clinical trial. These trials help doctors discover more effective treatment methods and give patients a chance to try a treatment before it’s officially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- To help find a clinical trial that’s right for you, try our Clinical Trial Finder.
“Nag people in your life to get their breast exams and also put it on your calendar to check it out. When was the last time you knew that you had a mammogram? Make it a priority,” Arquette told KXAS News.
Read MoreView this post on InstagramArquette says her mom, Brenda Denaut, worked as a therapist and was an activist. By the time she was diagnosed with breast cancer, it had reached stage 4 or metastatic cancer. This means the cancer has spread beyond the breast and into other parts of the body. Although advanced cancer is often more challenging to treat, there are many treatment options available to women living with metastatic breast cancer.
“I think women, certainly it was the case with my mother. Certainly, it’s the case with me, put themselves at last on their list,” Arquette said, suggesting women should prioritize their health.
“I feel like we’ve come a long way since my mom passed away. It’s definitely treatable, especially when it’s discovered early. I’m excited about organizations that are doing so much to help bring about new research and breakthroughs,” the award-winning actress added.
As Arquette suggested, although metastatic cancer is not considered curable, many treatment options exist today that can extend your life and improve your overall day-to-day quality of life.
Helping Patients Cope with a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Coping With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Metastatic breast cancer (also called stage 4) means the cancer cells have spread from the breast to other parts of the body. Breast cancer spreads through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. The blood carries cancer cells to different body parts, where they grow as new tumors. The cancer may spread to the liver, lungs, or bones.
“Among women who are seeking medical attention for breast cancer for the first time, approximately 6 to 8% have evidence of metastatic breast cancer,” says Dr. Kenneth D. Miller, a medical oncologist at the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.
As the disease spreads to other areas of the body (metastasis), it may cause additional symptoms depending on the area the cancer has spread. These may include:
- Bones: Severe bone pain or fractures
- Lungs: Difficulty breathing, chest pain, new cough
- Liver: Yellowing of the skin (jaundice), abdominal pain, nausea, and/or vomiting
- Brain: Headaches, memory loss, changes in vision, seizures
Although metastatic cancer is not considered curable, many treatment options exist today that can extend your life and improve your overall day-to-day quality of life. There have been incredible advances when it comes to treating breast cancer in recent years.
RELATED: What are the treatment options for late-stage breast cancer?
Breast cancer is sometimes classified as either local, regional, or distant.
- Local: Cancer is located in the breast and has not spread
- Regional: Cancer spreads from the breast to nearby lymph nodes
- Distant: Cancer spreads to distant parts of the body, including bones, liver, lungs, and/or brain
It’s important to note that breast cancer may metastasize after initial breast cancer treatment is finished. If any cancer cells are left behind after treatment, they may grow and spread to other parts of the body. This can happen years after successful treatment of the original breast cancer.
The treatment approach for metastatic breast cancer focuses on decreasing the spread of cancer cells and relieving symptoms so patients can improve their quality of life. The treatments may involve another round of chemotherapy or hormonal therapy if the cancer feeds on estrogen, for example. Immunotherapy, which reengineers the immune system to fight cancer cells, surgery, and clinical trials are also treatment options for advanced cancer.
The Value of Clinical Trials for Advanced Cancer
In many cases, patients battling metastatic cancer may turn to clinical trials for added hope.
WATCH: Clinical trials can be life-saving.
Dr. Beth Karlan, a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Health, explained to SurvivorNet in a previous chat that clinical trials aim to advance cancer research to the point where the disease becomes manageable, akin to diabetes.
“Clinical trials hopefully can benefit you, but it also provides very, very vital information to the whole scientific community about the effectiveness of these treatments,” Dr. Karlan said.
“They can be life-saving. We’ve seen many in the last few years of children and adults who have participated in trials and have had miraculous results,” Dr. Karlan continued.
Within the U.S., all new drugs must go through clinical trials before the FDA approves them. Although the rewards of clinical trials can be great, they also come with risks. Talking to your doctor about this before enrolling in a trial is important. Some risks to consider include:
- The risk of harm and/or side effects due to experimental treatments
- Researchers may be unaware of some potential side effects of experimental treatments
- The treatment may not work for you, even if it has worked for others
If you want to participate in a clinical trial, your first step should be to talk with your doctor. They can address many of your initial questions and help you determine if you would make for a good participant.
Another crucial part of clinical trials is finding the right one for you. SurvivorNet has a simple Clinical Trial Finder that can make the process easier.
Breast Cancer Screenings
Mammograms are used to screen for breast cancer. Women who haven’t gone through menopause are encouraged to get a mammogram annually between the ages of 45 and 54. If you have experienced menopause, you can get a mammogram every two years.
“We all agree regular screening mammography saves lives,” Dr. Connie Lehman, a professor at Harvard Medical School, told SurvivorNet.
The recommendations may vary between doctors and for patients who are considered “high-risk.” People at higher risk may have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation or have had radiation to the chest area when they were young. In cases like this, people in the high-risk category should begin annual mammograms at 30 years old.
Breast Cancer Symptoms & Self-Exams
Women are encouraged to do regular self-exams to become familiar with how their breasts feel normally so something like a lump can be easily detected. A self-exam includes pressing your fingertips along your breast in a circular motion.
If you feel something abnormal, such as a lump or discharge from the nipple, you should contact your doctor for further examination.
WATCH: How often should you get mammograms?
Below are common symptoms to look out for:
- New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
- Any change in the size or the shape of the breast
- Swelling on all or part of the breast
- Skin dimpling or peeling
- Breast or nipple pain
- Nipple turning inward
- Redness or scaliness of breast or nipple skin
- Nipple discharge (not associated with breastfeeding)
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