My Breakthrough
Secondary breast cancer
Secondary breast cancer is when cancer cells from the breast have spread and established themselves in other parts of the body.
This spread is called metastasis and cancer that has spread is said to have metastasised. In breast cancer, the spread is most often to the bones, lungs or liver.
The original (or primary) cancer is in the breast. The secondary cancer is still breast cancer, but it has invaded a different part of the body and become established there.
Tiny secondaries (micrometastases) are able to spread to the other parts of the body, but they do not produce symptoms and they are very hard to detect.
Currently, tests can generally only detect secondary breast cancer when it has become large enough to show up on scans. Often it is the woman herself who will notice symptoms that may be caused by secondary breast cancer, and tell her doctor.
Studies are underway to try to develop techniques to detect these at an early stage.
More information about secondary breast cancer is available on this site.
The original (or primary) cancer is in the breast. The secondary cancer is still breast cancer, but it has invaded a different part of the body and become established there.
Tiny secondaries (micrometastases) are able to spread to the other parts of the body, but they do not produce symptoms and they are very hard to detect.
Currently, tests can generally only detect secondary breast cancer when it has become large enough to show up on scans. Often it is the woman herself who will notice symptoms that may be caused by secondary breast cancer, and tell her doctor.
Studies are underway to try to develop techniques to detect these at an early stage.
More information about secondary breast cancer is available on this site.
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