Stage 4 Breast Cancer Diagnosis?

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Overview

Stage 4 Breast Cancer also called Metastatic Breast Cancer is when the breast cancer has spread beyond your breast and lymph nodes to other organs in your body. Stage 4 Breast Cancer is also called Advanced Breast Cancer.

Tap “Watch Now” below for an easy-to-understand overview of Metastatic Breast Cancer.

What Is Metastatic Breast Cancer?
Understanding HR+, HER2, TNBC

Overview

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When diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer, the cancer has spread beyond your breast and lymph nodes, to other organs in your body such as your lungs, bones, brain or liver, as shown here.

What Tests Will I Need and Why?

Blood and Imaging tests are done to understand your general health, confirm your diagnosis and determine your cancer stage.

Tissue analysis is also typically done to identify your cancer sub-type, which is critical to finding the best treatment option for you. The most common Breast Cancer sub-types are Hormone Receptor Positive, HER2 Positive and Triple Negative (TNBC).

You may also require special Saliva or Blood Analysis to look for specific mutations (actual changes in your body’s DNA), called BRCA1 and BRCA2.

Read this summary as often as needed and then tap, “Compare My Treatment Options Now“. Our comparison page has been created to help you understand the latest FDA-approved treatment options including, where and how the treatment will be given, what side-effects you may have and most importantly, who can help you pay for your treatment.

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Your Status is critical to identifying the best treatment option for you

In addition to the size and cancer stage, your treatment options are guided by your Hormone Receptor status (+ or -) and HER2 status. Status is identified by analyzing cancer cells taken from the tumor in your breast, a procedure called a Biopsy.

HR positive (HR+)
An HR+ diagnosis means that hormones are fueling the tumor. To understand your specific sub-type, your doctors will look for Estrogen Receptors (ER) and Progesterone Receptors (PR), your tumor can have one, both or neither.

About 70% of breast cancers are HR+.

If you test positive for HR, it means that your treatment should include medications that block hormone production.

HER2 positive (HER2+)
HER2 is a protein that is found in normal cells, it gives cells a signal to grow and produce more cells. A HER2 positive (+++) breast cancer diagnosis means that the tumor cells have too many HER2 proteins, causing uncontrolled tumor cell division, tumor growth and spreading.

About 15% of all breast cancer tumors are HER2 positive (+++). Some patients with HR+ can also have HER2 positive (+++).

If you test HER2+, it means that your treatment should include medications that block the HER2 protein to stop tumor cell growth.

HER2 Low
Until recently Breast Cancer could be divided into HER2 Positve and HER2 negative. It has been discovered that around 60% of patients with Breast Cancer who were previously considered HER2 Negative, have low levels of HER2 on the tumor cells that can respond to a specific anti HER2 targeted therapy.

If you were diagnosed with metastatic HER2 negative Breast Cancer, ask your doctor if you could be tested for HER2 Low.

Triple Negative (TNBC) (aka HER2-/HR-)

A TNBC diagnosis means that analysis of your cancer cells has shown that negative results for 3 key breast cancer “fuels”: