Can advanced breast cancer be cured with immunotherapy?

Question

Hi doctor,

I had breast cancer five years ago, and now it has spread to my bones and liver. My oncologist said it is metastatic. I want to know, does this mean it is no longer curable? Are there treatments that can help me live longer or reduce symptoms? I am worried about pain, fatigue, and what comes next. Are there newer therapies like immunotherapy or clinical trials that might help me? How do I plan for this emotionally and physically?

Please advise.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your case, and I can understand your concern regarding your health.

You have been diagnosed with metastatic breast carcinoma (stage IV) with poor prognostic factors, and metastasis to bones and liver.

Management of metastatic breast cancer is aimed at palliating symptoms, improving quality of life, preventing potential disabling complications, and attempting to prolong life.

Aggressive chemoradiotherapy and hormonal therapy with targeted therapy like immunotherapy should be given in order to slow the disease process and give symptomatic relief.
Supportive treatment includes providing vitamin supplements.
If metastasis is solitary and localized to a segment of liver only or bone in a patient with good performance status and favorable tumor biology, then surgical resection can be done with high risk.

Sorry to say, the prognosis is poor, and the survival rate of five years is about 31 percent, although it depends on how the patient responds to aggressive treatment.

Yes, you are right, immunotherapy can help, and other trials will give some time, but they do not completely cure the disease. For further details, you can discuss with your oncologist.

You may need emotional support; nowadays, they are available through support groups, which help to cope with it. The family needs screening programs for breast cancer to detect the disease at its early stage.

I hope this answers your query. Let me know if I can assist you any further.

Thank you.