Metastatic cancer is a type of cancer that has already spread from the body part where it started (known as the primary site) to other body parts. When the cancer cells break away from the tumor, they could travel to other body parts through the bloodstream or lymph system (which normally contains a collection of vessels carrying fluid and the immune system cells).
Building Your Metastatic Breast Cancer Medical Team
If you already have your own oncologist (in case it’s a recurrence of the previous diagnosis), then he or she will work with you and recommend a few other specialists so as to develop a metastatic breast cancer treatment plan. In case your metastatic breast cancer is your first breast cancer diagnosis, then you possibly don’t yet have your own oncologist, in which case, it’s most likely that your primary doctor will recommend the right oncologist to you.
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The doctors on your treatment team might be involved in your health care at different times or even at the same time. They have to communicate with one another about your treatments and tests. Your metastatic breast cancer treatments medical team might include several specialists as listed below:
- Surgeon: Surgeons usually perform biopsies along with other procedures and also remove single metastatic cancers.
- Medical Oncologist: They specialize in hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, nutritional support, and pain management.
- Radiation Oncologist: They specialize in radiation therapy.
- Radiologist: This is a specialist who takes and also interprets mammograms, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, bone scans, PET scans, and several other tests so as to determine the location as well as the size of cancer. He also helps determine how the cancer is responding to the treatment.
- Pathologist: They examine the biopsy sample while also conducting special tests on the cancer tissue so as to determine cancer’s “personality” (characteristics like HER2 status and hormone receptor status).
Determining the Personality of Metastatic or Recurrent Cancer
It might seem logical for you to assume that metastatic or recurrent breast cancer has similar HER2 status or hormone-receptor status as the original form of cancer. Still, research has shown that the “personality” of metastatic or recurrent cancer may be different from that of the original cancer. For instance, hormone-receptor status might change from hormone-receptor-negative to hormone-receptor-positive or vice versa. HER2 status might also be different from original cancer. If any of these factors have changed, then they can affect your metastatic breast cancer treatment plan. You might have to ask your physician how the HER2 status and hormone-receptor status of the recurrent/metastatic breast cancer were determined. You might also want to ask if the biopsy of the metastatic or recurrent cancer ought to be done.
Research on the new treatments for metastatic and recurrent breast cancer is still ongoing as scientists are constantly studying many new medicines to treat metastatic and recurrent breast cancer with fewer side effects. As the scientists learn more about how breast cancer genetics usually affect how the tumor grows and also responds to some treatments, they’ll be capable of targeting treatments for certain types of breast cancers more precisely or make the tumor likely to respond to particular metastatic breast cancer treatments.
If you are being treated for metastatic or recurrent breast cancer, then you and your physician might consider whether to take part in a clinical trial. These clinical trials are specifically designed to answer specific questions about new treatment approaches. As a result, your unique situation shall be considered carefully before you are accepted into the clinical trial. Apart from the benefits that you might get from the cancer treatment being studied, clinical trials also allow you to help the researchers in finding better metastatic breast cancer treatments that might help to extend lives in the near future.
Take Your Time
There’s time for anyone to get the attention and information that you need so as to make informed decisions, even if that means making some extra phone calls. If you are in shock or you’re feeling angry or scared, it might be hard to process whatever you hear when you are talking to your physician for the first time. As such, bring along someone who will be taking notes or bring a tape recorder. Do not be afraid of asking questions. Talk to different doctors as each doctor might give you new information that will help complete the entire treatment picture. Take the time that you need before making decisions. If you would prefer to think about metastatic breast cancer treatment options before calling your physician with your decision, then let your physician know.
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Posted on February 15, 2023