Raising Awareness for Metastatic Breast Cancer
- Suzanne Cavanagh, 41, from Liverpool, England, had back pain down her spine and then six months later, found out it was secondary breast cancer, or metastatic breast cancer (MBC), as it is known in the states.
- Described as a “beautiful, brilliant mathematician,” Suzanne jumped right into advocacy work following her diagnosis and was featured on a billboard for the "Fighting to be Heard" campaign ran by the Make 2nds Count organization.
- Metastatic breast cancer is incurable, but it is treatable. The number of women living with this advanced disease is rising, meaning the prognosis of the disease is getting more positive. As of 2017, the National Cancer Institute found that one-third (34 percent) of women with MBC have lived for five years or more from diagnosis.
Described as a “beautiful, brilliant mathematician,” Suzanne jumped right into advocacy work following her diagnosis.
Read More
The non-profit’s founder, Lisa Fleming, 38, is living with the disease. "We desperately need people to be aware of this forgotten form of breast cancer.
Sadly, last month, Suzanne wound up losing her fightbut she certainly died a hero, as her friends see her as a true champion for women. Suzanne wanted to make a difference, and she did.
"This billboard in Liverpool is a giant step forward for this campaign and meant so much to Suzanne."
View this post on Instagram
Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer
Stage four breast cancer means that your cancer has now spread to distant areas of the body. It is no longer regionalized to the breast. And while there is no cure for metastatic breast cancer, doctors have a lot of options to treat this stage of advanced disease. These include hormone therapy, chemotherapy and targeted drugs. Sometimes surgery and/or radiation is considered.
It's Not a Death Sentence; Changing the Way We Think About Cancer
With advanced disease, the goal of treatment is to keep you as stable as possible, slow the tumor growth and improve your quality of life.
In the UK, there are roughly 35,000 women living with metastatic breast cancer. Over a third don’t know what it is. Although the stage 4 disease is incurable, it is currently more treatable.
Still, the number of women living with MBC is rising, meaning the prognosis of the disease is getting more positive. As of 2017, the National Cancer Institute found that “one-third (34 percent) of women with MBC have lived for five years or more with the disease.”
Management of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Symptoms of metastatic breast cancer include:
- ongoing headaches
- blurry vision
- tiredness
- lumps in the breast area
- breathlessness
- loss of appetite
- bone pain.
Be sure to get in to your doctor for your health screenings, including mammograms. If you experience any strange symptoms that don’t seem to go away after a week or two, do not hesitate to immediately go get checked.
Remember, people continue working, living, and THRIVING, even after a cancer diagnosis. Stay aware of your body and no matter what stage you are faced with, never give up hope.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.