Breast cancer how does it spread

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. But what exactly does that mean and where can breast cancer cells go?

Oncologist Erin Roesch, MD , discusses where breast cancer is most likely to spread and how the type of breast cancer can play a role. In a small proportion of women, breast cancer is discovered after it's spread to other parts of the body metastatic breast cancer. Secondary cancer, also called advanced or metastatic cancer, is not curable, so the aim of treatment is to relieve symptoms. Find out more about treating breast cancer. Being diagnosed with breast cancer can affect daily life in many ways, depending on what stage it's at and the treatment you will have.

How people cope with the diagnosis and treatment varies from person to person. There are several forms of support available, if you need it. Find out more about living with breast cancer. As the causes of breast cancer are not fully understood, at the moment it's not possible to know if it can be prevented. If you have an increased risk of developing the condition, some treatments are available to reduce your risk. Studies have looked at the link between breast cancer and diet. Although there are no definite conclusions, there are benefits for women who:.

It's been suggested that regular exercise can reduce your risk of breast cancer by almost as much as a third. Regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle can also improve the outlook for people affected by breast cancer.

You can talk to your doctor if you struggle with this. In some cases, post-menopausal hormones are necessary and can't be avoided. But be aware that they do seem to play a role in breast cancer risk. If you give birth, breastfeeding may reduce your chances of developing breast cancer in the future. Things to keep an eye out for that might be signs, include lumps or thickening in your breast, changes in the size or shape of your breast, changes in your breast skin, or a new inversion of your nipple.

Peeling, scaling or flaking of the areola and redness or pitting of the skin of your breast that looks like an orange. Most importantly, because these things may or may not be cancer, be sure to check with your doctor if you notice any of these signs. If you suspect you might have breast cancer. How do you find out? Doctors use physical exams, mammograms, ultrasounds, MRIs, and needle biopsies to determine if cancer is present.

If that's the case, you and your doctor will need to discuss treatment options. Like any other cancer, Breast cancer requires a smart and strategic approach.

Your treatment plan depends on what you're up against, maybe the size and the stage of the cancer. What type is it? Is it sensitive to hormones? Many questions have to be answered before you and your care team can put a plan together.

Surgery is not always the first step. Frequently medical therapy, such as endocrine therapy or chemotherapy will be recommended first to decrease the size of the tumor in the breast, or decrease the disease and the lymph nodes, and importantly to evaluate the response of the cancer to the treatment.

As this can be critical information to guide further treatment after surgery. But surgery is often indicated as part of the treatment, and that can mean just removing the breast lump, or sometimes removing the entire breast, or both breasts. It usually involves removal of some lymph nodes from under your armpit on that side. Whether or not you've got any treatment before surgery, you may need treatment after surgery.

This could involve radiation and medical therapies such as endocrine therapy and chemotherapy. If the disease has spread beyond the breast and lymph nodes, surgery is usually not recommended and medical therapy is the main course of treatment.

Radiation uses beams of energy to target and kill cancer cells and prevent cancer recurrence in that area. Chemotherapy uses powerful drugs to kill the cancers. Some cancers are sensitive to hormones and can be treated with a different set of drugs.

Hormone therapy has its own set of side effects, but your doctor will be able to guide you through best options for your specific cancer type.

Then there's immunotherapy. Cancer cells blind your body's natural defense systems. Immunotherapy pulls off those blinders, so your body's natural defenses can do their job and zero in on that target. All of these treatments have side effects going through these measures that will ultimately heal you can be really hard. But there are ways to deal with that too. Pain management and other palliative care can help you deal with all these necessary but difficult processes.

This can all feel overwhelming. A breast cancer diagnosis is a complicated and scary topic. Keep your friends and family close. Rely on them for practical and emotional support. Find someone to talk with, maybe a friend, relative, clergy member, or medical social worker.

A support group can be really helpful to connect with others who have been down this road before. The outlook on breast cancer has improved immensely. Research and scientific advancement have made this disease a very treatable one. With new and constantly improving therapies and expert care, there is plenty of hope. If you'd like to learn even more about breast cancer, watch our other related videos or visit mayoclinic.

We wish you well. After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States. Breast cancer can occur in both men and women, but it's far more common in women.

Substantial support for breast cancer awareness and research funding has helped created advances in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer survival rates have increased, and the number of deaths associated with this disease is steadily declining, largely due to factors such as earlier detection, a new personalized approach to treatment and a better understanding of the disease. Breast cancer care at Mayo Clinic. Breast and nipple changes can be a sign of breast cancer.

Make an appointment with your doctor if you notice anything unusual. If you find a lump or other change in your breast — even if a recent mammogram was normal — make an appointment with your doctor for prompt evaluation. Learn More.

Sometimes, breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body. This does not always happen, but when it does, it is known as metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer is treated differently than localized breast cancer.

Additionally, breast cancer can spread after a patient has been diagnosed. To watch for potential signs of metastasis, patients are typically scheduled for frequent imaging scans during and after treatment.

Breast cancer spreads when abnormal cells invade surrounding healthy tissues. In most cases, breast cancer first spreads to other parts of an affected breast, then to nearby lymph nodes.