Before discussing about survival rate of stage 4 breast cancer, it is necessary to know what staging in the case of breast cancer is and how is that determined. Please go through breast cancer stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3 for better understanding. Staging is the process of evaluating how widespread the cancer has become at the time of diagnosis, it is based on an evaluation whether the cancer is non invasive or invasive, how large the tumor is , how many lymph nodes are affected and whether it is confined to the tumor or has spread to other parts of the body.
Tests to detect spread of cancer
Several imaging tests are performed to determine the progress of cancer. These tests are chest X ray , mammogram of both the breasts , bone scan ,CT (computed tomography scan), MRI(magnetic Resonance Imaging )and or PET(positron emission tomography)scans. Whether cancer has spread to other organs can be detected by blood tests.
Upon diagnosis of breast cancer these tests are done.
Chest X ray- to show if breast cancer has affected your lungs.- Mammogram-it is done to get more clear view of the breast.
- Bone scan- this is done to see whether the cancer has (metastasized) spread to the bones.
- CT scan-it is an xray test that gives detailed cross sectional body images.
- MRI scan it is often used to examine the breast with cancer to look for other tumors in opposite breast and other parts of the body.
- PET scan – for a pet scan, the patient is given a shot of glucose with radioactive atoms. Cancer cells absorb the glucose. A camera then identifies the cancer affected body parts.
A staging system is a standard way to define how far cancer has spread in the body. A stage of the breast cancer is usually based on the results of the test described earlier together with results of any surgery. This staging system is important to judge the survival rate of satge4 breast cancer.
Cancer is classified by the cancer staging system called TN and M stages.
- These stages from 0-4 describe tumor size and spread.
- N stages from 0-3 describe whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the breast.
- M stages 0-1 shows whether cancer has spread to other organs.
Characteristics of stage4 breast cancer
Stage 4 breast cancer is extremely aggressive and in most cases, surgery or chemotherapy or radiation treatments fail to stop them. This is an advanced stage of breast cancer. The cancer has metastasized to the bone tissue, liver and the lung tissue. The breast cancer stage4 has overwhelmed all the natural defense system of the body and has reached this stage.
Survival rate of stage 4 breast cancer
Survival rate for stage 4 breast cancer is very poor at present. The five year survival rate for stage 4 breast cancer is in the 16%to20%region. Statistics show that of all women in the United States , 5% of White women and nearly 10% of Black women have breast cancer at an advanced stage, when first diagnosed. The survival rate of stage4 breast cancer is a mere 18 months after diagnosis. Early detection is the most important factor in breast cancer survival rate. Breast cancer detected in stage1 has a survival rate of 98%- 100%. While if detected at stage 4, the survival rate drops down to a dismal 16/5-20%.
