How do you know if you have stage 4 breast cancer?

Having stage 4 breast cancer means that cancer cells from the breast tissue have spread to distant parts of the body. Signs and symptoms can vary based on where the cancer has spread to. However, they may include bone pain, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, and severe headaches, among others.

What are the final stages of stage 4 breast cancer?

Bone metastasis symptoms pain in the bones or joints, which may be constant or become worse with activity. back or neck pain. increased risk of bone fractures. numbness or weakness in certain areas of the body.

How long can you live with stage 4 breast cancer?

While treatable, metastatic breast cancer (MBC) cannot be cured. The five-year survival rate for stage 4 breast cancer is 22 percent; median survival is three years. Annually, the disease takes 40,000 lives.

What are the symptoms of late stage breast cancer?

Symptoms of advanced breast cancer can include:

  • breast lump that you can either see or feel.
  • skin changes, like dimpling or rash.
  • nipple discharge.
  • breast pain or discomfort.
  • fatigue.
  • unexplained weight loss.
  • loss of appetite.

What are the signs that breast cancer has spread?

Symptoms if cancer has spread to the lungs

  • a cough that doesn’t go away.
  • shortness of breath.
  • ongoing chest infections.
  • weight loss.
  • chest pain.
  • coughing up blood.
  • a build up of fluid between the chest wall and the lung (a pleural effusion)

When does breast cancer spread to brain?

About 10% to 15% of people with stage IV breast cancer have brain metastases. The risk of brain metastasis is usually highest for people with more aggressive subtypes of breast cancer, such as HER2-positive or triple-negative breast cancer.

Is Stage 4 breast cancer a death sentence?

Many women live for decades with metastatic breast cancer. A stage 4 diagnosis is not an instant death sentence, says Renee Sendelbach, 40, from Austin, Texas, who was diagnosed seven years ago, when she learned that her breast cancer had moved into her lungs, bones, and lymph nodes.

How do you feel when you have breast cancer?

Breast cancer can have different symptoms for different people. Most don’t notice any signs at all. The most common symptom is a lump in your breast or armpit. Others include skin changes, pain, a nipple that pulls inward, and unusual discharge from your nipple.