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Written by Aaron Lurie
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The Seriousness of Stage 4Stage 4 breast cancer is one of the worst stages that you can have. In this stage, the cancer is very aggressive and has moved to be at its most dangerous form. Doctors will still provide you with excellent treatment options and many patients do survive breast cancer at this stage. In this advanced form, though, there may be limits. Unfortunately, according to the American Cancer Society, there is only a 20 percent chance of survival beyond five years for people who have this stage of cancer.
What Are Stages Doctors have developed a system of stages to help them know which level the breast cancer is in. In the earliest stages, the cancer is very small and often times go undetected. As the tumor grows in size, it will move up in terms of stage level. Stages range from stage 1 (or stage I) to stage 4 (or stage IV.) There are also subdivisions in each stage. Doctors will rate the disease by size, but also by other factors including the amount and type of growth of the stage as well as the overall aggressiveness of the stage. Doctors are also concerned about the overall way that the tumor is growing. Most will grow in a "normal" pattern, which allows them to tailor treatment to that specific stage easier. Others are unpredictable and this often can be one of the most troublesome types of cancer.
Defining Stage In order for doctors to know which breast cancer stage you are in, they will need to do a wide variety of tests. They will do this in the effort to fully understand the condition, so they can give you the best treatment options available. Generally, doctors will do tests that include x rays that are highly intense, as well as blood work and much more. Once they are confident that they know all there is to know about the tumor or the breast cancer cells in your body, they will define which stage they believe the condition to be. In most situations, doctors are able to define the stages after a few tests, but may reinforce their information with more. Over time, they will continue to monitor the situation to insure they have a full understanding of the progression of breast cancer.
Defining Treatment Once doctors know which stage of breast cancer you are in, they can tailor your breast cancer treatments around it. This often includes several options. Whenever possible and available, they may use breast cancer surgery as their first line of defense. This will allow them to remove any and all types of tumors they find. In earlier stages, they may not have to remove the entire breast, either, for this to be helpful.
Doctors will nearly always combat the growth of tumors and breast cancer in general with medications. The right breast cancer drug for you will be the one that is the best at helping improving your overall health, based on the stage of your breast cancer. A wide range of treatment options are available including chemotherapy and radiation, all of which have been very helpful at improving the success rate of treatment for breast cancer.
Being educated about the level of breast cancer you have is important. Doctors will provide you with all of the tools you'll need to make it through your cancer that are available, but sometimes it is not enough. The best way to avoid the worries of stage four breast cancer is to keep from getting it. Early detection is the best tool available to you. You can be a part of the successful thousands that have beaten cancer. |
