Stage 4 Breast Cancer Diagnosis

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.

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.

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”:

1. Estrogen Receptors (ER)
2. Progesterone Receptors (PR)
3. Too much HER2 Protein

TNBC is a type of fast-growing breast cancer that occurs in about 13% of all breast cancers.

If you are diagnosed with TNBC+, it means that your treatment should include chemotherapy in most cases, and for some women Immunotherapy.

Compare your treatment options here.