Metastic Breast Cancer Diagnosis. Opinions?

[RuthyT]

Hi, my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer 6 weeks ago. She had a biopsy and the tumor was found to be estrogen receptive. Her Bone Scan showed that the cancer had spread to her 7th rib and the CT Scan showed a small lesion in her lung, lymph nodes under armpit and lymph nodes in chest.

The oncologist said that cancer is controllable but not curable. She has to stay on hormone therapy for the rest of her life and cannot receive surgery as the oncologist said the wound wouldnt be able to heal as their is cancer cells in the chest. She also wont be receiving chemotherapy as the oncologist said the hormone therapy is as just as good.

Surely if the hormone therapy is stopping the cancer cells from surviving then surgery is an option? And is radiation not also an option for the other sites of cancer?

What do you think of the prognosis? Does it look like a bad outcome?

Please dont spare details to not hurt my feelings. I can take it!

Thank you

xx

[Dennis MD]

Hi.
I understand what you are going through.
Your mum has breast cancer stage 4 with metastases to the bone and lung.  For stage 4 disease, the treatment goal is palliative.  Hormone therapy is being given to control the disease and is continued until disease progression.  If there is disease progression, therapy can be shifted to systemic chemotherapy.
Your mum can also be given bisphosphonates (Pamidronate, Zoledronic Acid) to control the bone metastasis and relieve bone pains.
Surgery and radiation therapy can also be options but this can be done on the latter part of the treatment process, once the disease is controlled.  
What is important now is to see how your mum responds to her current treatment.
You should discuss other treatment options with your mum's oncologist.  
Stay positive.

[RuthyT]

Thanks very much for your help x