Living with metastatic breast cancer

Being diagnosed with “metastatic breast cancer” comes as a great shock for most women. This diagnosis often causes severe anxiety and worry over both their own future and that of their family. If the doctor has found metastases, the diagnosis is often even more frightening than if breast cancer is first diagnosed at an early stage. But metastatic breast cancer can be treated, too, and many women continue to live with this disease for years afterwards.

Table of contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Background
    1. What is metastatic breast cancer?
    2. How common is metastatic breast cancer?
  3. Causes
    1. How cancer cells spread
    2. It is unclear why breast cancer develops
    3. Genetic factors
  4. Symptoms, tests and course of disease
    1. Symptoms
    2. Examinations
      1. Examinations when breast cancer is suspected
      2. Examinations when metastases are suspected
    3. Classification of the tumor
      1. Location, size and spreading of the tumor
      2. Tumor growth
      3. Influence from hormones
      4. Influence from growth factors
      5. Other influencing factors
    4. Discussing the diagnosis – planning therapy
    5. Consequences of the disease
    6. Prognosis
  5. Treatment
    1. Treatment goals
    2. Adverse effects and psychological consequences
    3. Treatment options
      1. Hormonal therapy / anti-hormonal therapy
      2. Chemotherapy
      3. Targeted therapies
      4. Surgical therapy
      5. Radiotherapy
      6. Treating individual metastases
      7. Pain therapy
      8. Complementary therapies
      9. Palliative medicine: Living with the disease
      10. Psycho-oncological support
    4. Deciding not to have the cancer treated
    5. Treatment as part of a clinical study
    6. Disease management programs
    7. Post-hospital curative treatment and rehabilitation
    8. What happens after discharge from the hospital or the rehabilitation clinic?
  6. Formalities, finances and support
  7. Living with metastatic breast cancer
    1. Coping with fear, anger and grief
    2. Finding your own way
    3. Psychological support
      1. Therapy and counseling
      2. Relaxation and coping with pain
    4. Coping with fatigue
    5. Looking after yourself
      1. Exercise
      2. Diet
    6. Sexuality
      1. Rediscovering sexuality
      2. If desire does not return
    7. Talking about cancer
      1. Relationship
      2. Children and grandchildren
    8. Everyday life and job
      1. What does your job mean to you?
      2. Occupational rehabilitation or retirement?
    9. Self-help, information and counseling
      1. Self-help
      2. Other places to turn to
  8. Sources

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  • Last update: September 12th 2012 13:22
  • Created (German version): February 14th 2012 17:18
  • History: Show list

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