My aunt has metastatic breast cancer. How to treat it?

Question

Hi doctor,

My aunt is 53 years old. She has been getting pain in her right breast frequently. She also gets a discharge from her right breast sometimes.

When she consulted the doctor, she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.So my questions are -

May I know what this is?
How is this condition caused? Can it occur due to genetic causes?
What are the other symptoms noticed?
How is this condition managed?
Can chemotherapy and radiotherapy help in controlling this breast cancer?

Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Metastatic breast cancer means the cancer has spread beyond the breast. Initial symptoms are a painless lump in the breast or nipple retraction.

Other symptoms are bony pain, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, etc, depending upon the organ involved. Mammography is the best tool to diagnose early breast cancer.

The choice of treatment for metastatic breast cancer depends upon histopathology details and the stage of the disease. Factors that may increase breast cancer are:

A family history of breast cancer.
A personal history of breast cancer.
A personal history of breast conditions.
First period at a younger age.
Menopause at an older age.
Dense breast tissue.
Drinking alcohol.
Age, mostly premenopausal women and those under the age of 50 have an increased risk of triple-negative breast cancer.
BRCA1 (breast cancer gene 1) gene mutation. About 70 percent of the breast cancers diagnosed in women with an inherited BRCA1 mutation are TNBC (triple-negative breast cancer).
Ethnicity also, specifically African, American, and Hispanic women, have a higher rate of triple-negative breast cancers.

I hope this information helps you.

Revert in case of queries.

Regards.