What is secondary breast cancer?
Secondary breast cancer means that a cancer that started in the breast has spread to another part of the body. It most commonly spreads to the liver, lungs, brain, or bones.
Unfortunately, secondary breast cancer can't be cured. The aim of treatment is to control it, relieve symptoms and maintain your 
. Many people can live a normal life for a number of years.
Locally advanced and secondary breast cancer
Locally advanced breast cancer is different from secondary breast cancer.
Locally advanced breast cancer means the cancer has spread into the surrounding area, such as the , the skin or the chest muscle. But it has not spread to other distant parts of the body such as the bones.
Sometimes when breast cancer is first diagnosed it may already be a secondary cancer. Or the cancer has come back and spread after treatment for the original cancer.
Secondary breast cancer is also called:
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advanced breast cancer
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metastatic breast cancer
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stage 4 breast cancer
Tests to diagnose secondary breast cancer
You have tests to diagnose secondary breast cancer. These are similar to the tests to diagnose early breast cancer, so you might have had some of them before.
The tests you might have include:
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mammogram
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breast ultrasound scan
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taking a sample of tissue from your cancer called a biopsy
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scans such as CT scan, PET-CT scan and a bone scan
Liquid biopsy
A liquid biopsy is a blood test that looks for tiny pieces of breast cancer in the blood. Cancers often release pieces of DNA into the bloodstream. This is also called circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA).
You may have this test if you have advanced breast cancer and your cancer has not responded to previous treatment.
This test helps your doctor to:
- understand more about the
gene changes (mutations) of your cancer - decide on the best treatment for your cancer
- start your targeted treatment sooner
Most people still need a tissue biopsy after this test.
Sometimes it’s not possible to use a tissue biopsy. This can be when:
- your doctor can’t take a sample because of where the cancer is
- you are too ill
- the sample isn’t suitable for testing
In these situations, the results from the liquid biopsy are enough to make decisions about your treatment and for you to start treatment.
A liquid biopsy is approved as a test for advanced breast cancer in England.
Treatment
Treatment for secondary breast cancer depends on a number of factors such as the treatment you already had and where the cancer is in your body.
Common treatments for secondary breast cancer include chemotherapy, hormone therapy and targeted cancer drugs. You usually have a combination of these.
How you might feel
When breast cancer is advanced it can't be cured. But treatment can control it for some time and help to relieve symptoms.
Finding out that you can’t be cured is distressing and can be a shock. It’s common to feel uncertain and anxious. It's normal to not be able to think about anything else.
Lots of information and support are available to you, your family, and friends. It can help to find out more about your cancer and the treatments you might have. Many people find that knowing more about their situation can make it easier to cope.
Talk to your doctor or nurse to understand:
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what your diagnosis means
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what is likely to happen
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what treatment is available
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how treatment can help you
You and your family will be looked after by a team of people who can provide you with support and information.
Survival
Many people want to know what the outlook is and how their cancer will develop. This is different for each person. Your cancer specialist has all the information about you and your cancer. They're the best person to discuss this with.
You can also talk to your specialist nurse.
