When diagnosed with recurrent or metastatic breast cancer, there are many emotions that may occur, but there is no “normal” or “right” response. Patients may feel angry or frustrated, may have doubts about previous treatment, and may feel helpless.
But there are treatments that can help. Some recurrent breast cancers can be treated successfully, but recurrent or metastatic breast cancer is usually not curable, and in these cases, treatment focuses on preventing exacerbations, including living as long as possible, and having a good quality of life.
What anti-tumor treatments are available?
Treatment modalities
There are many issues that both doctors and patients consider when making treatment decisions, such as the patient’s age and health status, the type of breast cancer they have, the site of the breast cancer, and the patient’s preferences.
- For recurrent breast cancer that is located in the breast or chest wall, treatment may include
- surgery (mastectomy), radiation therapy, or a combination of the two;
- chemotherapy or endocrine therapy;
- Targeted therapy, such as trastuzumab.
- For recurrent or metastatic breast cancer at other sites, treatment may include.
- endocrine therapy and/or chemotherapy (in combination with or without trastuzumab);
- Tyrosine kinase inhibitor lapatinib in combination with capecitabine chemotherapy;
- Monoclonal antibody therapy, such as trastuzumab or a combination of patuximab and trastuzumab;
- Radiotherapy, surgery, or a combination of the two for symptoms that cause pain or other problems;
- The use of bisphosphonates or denosumab to reduce bone pain, fractures, and spinal cord compression caused by cancer located in the bone.
Treatment side effects
Cancer and its treatment can cause pain, but pain from cancer is almost always manageable. If pain persists, you can consult a pain specialist.
There are many other things patients can do at home to help manage treatment side effects. But the doctor needs to be informed of adverse symptoms. Patients and their doctors work together to help achieve the best quality of life.
Consider participating in a clinical trial
Clinical trials are designed to validate new drugs, drug combinations, and other treatments for breast cancer. If you are diagnosed with metastatic or recurrent breast cancer, you can talk to your doctor about participating in a clinical trial, such as one testing a new chemotherapy drug, endocrine therapy, or targeted therapy.
Supportive therapy is also available
Supportive therapy is a therapy for people with severe disease that, unlike therapies aimed at curing the disease, aims to improve quality of life, focusing not only on the patient’s body, but also on the mind and spirit. This therapy can be used in combination with other therapies aimed at curing the disease.
Supportive therapy will work to help manage pain or side effects. The doctor can help the patient decide what treatment he or she wants or does not want, and can also help the patient’s family understand how to provide help to the patient.
Consult your doctor if you are interested in supportive care.
Consider receiving hospice care
For some patients with advanced disease, therapies designed to cure cancer no longer seem to be a good option. The reason for this may be that the side effects, time, and cost of treatment outweigh the benefits that a cure or remission can provide. But there are still treatments available to patients in their remaining time to make feeling as comfortable as possible. Patients and doctors can decide when to start hospice care.