Secondary breast cancer

Sometimes, breast cancer can spread from its original place and begin to grow at other parts of the body.

This is called secondary or advanced breast cancer and the tumours are known as metastases.

Secondary breast cancer can’t be cured, but it can be controlled. Many women with the disease continue to work, look after their families, travel and play sport for many years.

If you have secondary breast cancer, ask your cancer specialist about treatment options. These will depend on how far the cancer has spread, where it has spread to, and the treatment you've had so far. Your specialist will take your age, general health, the type of cancer you have and your likely response to treatment into consideration.

Also important in the decision, however, is you – how you feel and how much more treatment you want to have and how you can cope with any likely side effects of treatment.

You may, for example, want to try everything possible – some women even take part in clinical trials of new treatments. Options include hormone treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, biological (targeted) treatment and an oophorectomy – the removal of your ovaries.

On the other hand, you may feel you’ve had enough treatment and opt for palliative care to relieve your symptoms and help with any practical or emotional problems.

Either way, your personal wellbeing is the most important consideration. To help you decide, you may want to have a chat with people at the hospital where you receive treatment, your family and friends or a support organisation such as Breast Cancer Care.

See the Breast Cancer Care website for more information about secondary breast cancer and where it can spread to.