Cancer that originated in the breasts but has metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body, is referred to as metastatic breast Cancer (MBC). This kind of breast cancer is also abbreviated as MBC.
Every single instance of MBC is unique. MBC manifests itself most frequently in the lungs, liver, bones, and brain; nevertheless, breast Cancer Cells have the ability to metastasize and spread to practically any organ or tissue in the body. Because of this, treating MBC is a highly customized process that takes into account many elements about the patient, including their symptoms and medical history, in addition to the size, location, and features of the cancer cells. There is currently no treatment that will reverse the effects of MBC, however, there are medicines that can relieve symptoms, delay the progression of the illness, increase survival time, and enhance the quality of life.
The following is an overview of some of the various treatment methods that can be employed for MBC.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy drugs are medicines that are used to treat cancer by causing harm to and killing cancer cells. Regrettably, chemotherapy is known to harm healthy cells as well. Chemotherapy is frequently used in conjunction with other treatment modalities, and there are more than a dozen different chemotherapy medicines that can be used to treat MBC. As is the case with any other method of therapy for MBC, the decision of which drugs or combination of pharmaceuticals to use is determined not only by the features of cancer but also by the requirements of the patient and their past medical history.
Hormonal Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy is also sometimes referred to as endocrine therapy or treatment with antiestrogens. Tests will be performed to identify whether or not the cancer cells are estrogen-receptor positive and progesterone-receptor positive (ER/PR positive). This will be done prior to making a diagnosis. Cancer cells that are positive for the ER and PR proteins are able to make use of the hormone estrogen to fuel their continued proliferation. The goal of endocrine therapy is to either lower the amounts of estrogen already present in the body or to prevent estrogen from being utilized by cancer cells. In either case, the goal is to deprive cancer of its ability to grow and spread. There is a diverse selection of medications that can be found in this area; some of them may be utilized in conjunction with other forms of treatment. The choice of treatment will be determined by a variety of criteria, one of which is whether or not the patient has already gone through menopause or is still in their reproductive years.
Biologic Therapy
Biologic therapies for MBC function by targeting specific proteins or processes that encourage the growth of cancer cells. One example of this would be HER2, also known as the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, which is a protein that some malignancies can use to thrive. The presence of HER2-positive characteristics in cancer cells is one of the criteria that will be evaluated during the diagnostic process. If the cancer cells test positive for the HER2 protein, your healthcare practitioner may recommend a biological treatment that is able to specifically target and kill the HER2-positive cancer cells.
Bone modifying agents, often known as BMAs, are another type of biological therapy used to treat Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) that has spread to the bones. BMAs are used to treat symptoms like bone pain and avoid problems like fractures by inhibiting the normal processes that lead to the breakdown of bone cells. This makes BMAs effective in treating both conditions.
Surgery or Radiation Therapy
In most cases of MBC, the sole treatment options are radiation therapy (RT) and surgery. These treatments are intended to target certain tumors; however, they are not the most effective method for combating cancer that has spread to numerous parts of the body. On the other hand, if a patient with MBC has a tumor in a location that is causing complications or poses a risk of complications—for example, a tumor that is applying pressure to the spinal cord or brain—surgery or radiation may be used to remove or shrink that particular tumor. This is the case when the patient has a tumor in a location that is causing complications.
Deciding on a Treatment
It is essential to keep in mind that every single instance of MBC is unique, and that not every treatment is suitable for every single patient. When it comes to the treatment of MBC, it is of the utmost significance to collaborate with a healthcare expert in order to obtain an exact diagnosis. This contains information regarding the size of the malignancy as well as its location, biology, and any other features. This data will help guide the development of your treatment strategy. In recent years and decades had many more treatment choices accessible to them than patients do today, and data that has been released reveals that survival rates for patients with MBC are improving.
