home Consultations Modern diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer metastases. Vicious cycle: from breast cancer to bone metastases

Modern diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer metastases. Vicious cycle: from breast cancer to bone metastases

For breast cancer malignant tumor develops into glandular tissue this organ. In this case, secondary tumor foci are formed. Malignant cells penetrate through the blood and lymph into the liver, muscles, lungs and other organs. Secondary tumor foci disrupt the functioning of all organs, worsen general state patient, cause unbearable pain.

Causes

In the mammary gland, metastases usually develop at the second or third stage of cancer development. Tumor cells are able to break away from it, enter the lumen of blood or lymphatic vessels and move to other organs and tissues, growing in them. Tumor cells can spread to all organs, including the spine, spinal cord, and bones.

There are cases when the described processes develop already at stage 1 of breast cancer. This means that even if the primary tumor is still small and does not manifest itself in any way, it produces many foreign cells that spread through the bloodstream to distant tissues of the body.

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Metastases spread in the following ways:

along the milk ducts;
through the lymph nodes (this is how they enter the lymph nodes);
By blood vessels- to any distant organs.

Symptoms of metastases in breast cancer

Metastases from breast cancer most often affect the liver, bones, brain, and lungs. In most cases, they affect the lymph nodes closest to the gland. Most often these are supraclavicular and subclavian lymph nodes. Depending on the location where metastases form, their manifestations vary.

Here are some general symptoms metastasis in breast cancer:

increase in body temperature to subfebrile values;
unexplained increasing fatigue;
decreased appetite and weight loss;
attacks of nausea;
vomit;
difficulty breathing.

If bone metastases appear, pain is observed in the joints, bones, and also in the spine. If the process is accompanied by compression of the spinal cord nerves, then a feeling of numbness occurs in the limbs.

In parallel with disorders of the musculoskeletal system, a disorder of the physiological activity of the intestine may occur, Bladder. Such patients suffer from constipation or diarrhea, as well as urinary incontinence.

Sometimes bone metastases are accompanied by burning, unbearable pain. Due to destruction bone tissue There is increased fragility and fragility of bones. Such patients are very susceptible to fractures.

With metastases to the brain, patients experience headaches. Often develops muscle weakness. A common sign When a breast tumor grows into the brain, it causes visual disturbances – blurred vision, double vision. Possible loss of field of vision. As the process progresses, convulsions and dizziness are observed.

Diagnostics

For proper treatment Timely diagnosis of cancer is important.

Depending on the patient’s symptoms, the following tests are prescribed:

general and biochemical research blood;
X-ray of bones;
magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spinal cord;
computed tomography of organs chest, abdominal cavity, pelvis, brain;
ultrasound examination of the chest and abdomen;
if a cough persists for a long time, bronchoscopy is prescribed;
biopsy of tissues that raise suspicion of cancer;
examination of pleural fluid (if there are signs of its accumulation).

Metastases are often diagnosed with certain blood tests. At the same time, a woman may not feel any clinical manifestations tumor growth into neighboring tissues. For example, tests may show increased content bilirubin in the blood with changes in the liver or calcium levels with bone damage. Such early diagnosis increases the chances of success.

If skin metastases are suspected, a tissue biopsy is prescribed. Sometimes such diagnostics allows one to determine the nature of the tumor and thereby allows one to prescribe effective treatment. Changes in the skin allow you to suspect problems and begin urgent therapeutic measures.

Treatment

Treatment of the disease includes the following measures:

local therapy to destroy malignant tumors;
systemic therapy aimed at removing tumor cells beyond the foci of their spread;
analgesic therapy.

Local treatment is very effective using radiation. Steroid drugs aimed at destroying harmful cells have also shown their effectiveness.

In the absence of contraindications, it is used surgical intervention. Sometimes surgery may be the only chance for a successful recovery.

Systemic therapy includes chemotherapy, hormone therapy. Both methods have positive results, which depend on the age of the patient and the characteristics of the disease.

Breast cancer is sensitive to the following drugs:

A correctly chosen treatment regimen significantly improves the quality of life of patients with metastases. In combination with radiation therapy it allows you to achieve lasting positive effect.

Hormone therapy is effective in cases where the tumor is sensitive to estrogens and progesterones. Drugs such as Tamoxifen, Toremifene, Raloxifene, Fulvestrant, Anastrozole and others are used.

When pain occurs, it is important to relieve it effectively. This can be achieved by taking modern, highly effective painkillers. Sometimes your doctor may prescribe sedatives.

Forecast (how long they live)

The question of life expectancy after breast cancer depends on the stage and what treatment was prescribed. After all, even if treatment is started in a timely manner, there is no guarantee that metastases will not form. The prognosis for this condition also depends on the individual characteristics of the woman’s body.

Without treatment, metastatic breast cancer progresses quite quickly. Alas, death in such a situation, it occurs several years after the tumor is discovered. Therefore, only early diagnosis of cancer can increase the chances of successful recovery.

Correctly selected treatment can extend the life of patients by an average of five years.

It provides a five-year survival rate in the vast majority of cases. However, there are exceptions to this rule: some patients have high quality life decades after illness. For others, unfortunately, even timely treatment prolongs life by only a few years.

Remember that only early diagnosis saves from metastases of malignant neoplasms of the mammary gland.

Neoplasm in the form of compacted nodes on breast tissue mammary organs in women are often observed. Such a process can have benign tumor growth or degenerate into an oncological stage of development. Cancerous lesions of the breast are most often observed in the area of the upper outer square of the gland, and less often in the area of the nipple.

Differentiate between breast cancer early development, nodular and diffuse. An early or minor process is characterized by the presence of a small compaction of up to one centimeter in one of the mammary glands, which is diagnosed visually using palpation, ultrasound equipment, mammography and biopsy. The histology of the excised area of compaction consists of a cytological study for the presence of atypical cells. Early cancer(carcinoma) is usually localized in internal area ducts and lobules of the breast and does not metastasize. Presence of metastases in nearby lymph nodes no longer talks about small things, early cancer female gland.

The presence of a node in the glandular tissue of the breast about two centimeters signals the development of nodular cancer. This form of oncology is quite common. On palpation, the node is tuberous, dense, without contours and mobility, and can also reach large sizes, up to ten centimeters. Metastases, with such infiltration of cancer, can be sent not only to regional nodes of the lymphatic system, but also to distant parts of the body, and in particular to the brain, to the spine, lung tissue and liver. When rapid activity of atypical cells occurs, the tumor begins to affect the subcutaneous tissue and epidermis of the breast with the formation of ulcerations. During the process of decay, the ulcers bleed and emit foul odor, deformation of the bone tissue of the spine, ribs and sternum occurs, which is accompanied unbearable pain and a significant deterioration in the condition of a woman with cancer. Due to tumor metastasis in brain section head, vision, hearing and memory are impaired. The prognosis of this form of cancer depends on its early detection and a properly designed treatment regimen.

A tumor in the form of an infiltrate that covers the entire space of the mammary gland or its segment is called a diffuse form of cancer. It can occur according to the type: armored, edematous, mastitis-like and erysipelas. All of them are characterized by unifying symptoms of tumor growth and distinctive forms of the oncological process.

Symptoms of erysipelatous, edematous and mastitis-like forms of breast malignancy

Definition of dense infiltrate big size without clear boundaries;
Swelling, enlargement, redness of the skin with big amount pores like “lemon peel” or erysipelas spreading to the chest area, as well as sagging of the mammary organ;
Blockage of lymphatic drainage and proliferation of an atypical process along the lymphatic ducts inside the skin of the glandular organ;
Hyperthermia of the affected area of the gland;
Damage skin as ulcerative lesions and elements of decay, serous and bloody, repulsive odor, discharge;
Fulminant metastasis to regional, distant lymph nodes, bones, and in particular, the spine and internal organs: brain, liver tissue, thyroid gland and lungs, which negatively affects the favorable prognosis of recovery.

Symptoms of the armored form of breast malignancy

In contrast to the above forms, a malignant tumor radically deforms the mammary organ in the direction of reducing the size of the glandular tissue, subcutaneous tissue and epidermal surface. The name of this type of cancer is due to its visual appearance. thoracic. There is severe damage to the chest in the form of small, merging infiltrates, reminiscent of a shell. The damaged breast is smaller than the healthy one, lumpy, hard, with an inverted nipple. Metastases spread very quickly to the sternum, spine, liver, brain and lung tissue, and rapid damage to the second mammary gland is also characteristic.

Sluggish malignant process It can also occur in the area of the areola of the breast. This form of cancer is called. Symptoms of such a tumor are itching and irritation. breast nipple, after this keratinization appears, which is removed in the form of scales of dry or wet consistency. As the tumor grows, the nipple begins to deform and subsequently completely smoothes out. This state of development of nipple cancer can last for years with gradual damage to the area behind the nipple circle. Paget's disease does not metastasize to the spine, liver and brain, or to distant nodes of the lymphatic system. The location of metastases is limited to regional lymph nodes.

After histological examination removed tumor of the mammary organ, its structural form is determined:

Atypical (flat and spindle-shaped cancer cells);
Solid (degeneration of organ tissue into hard, heavy tissue);
Adenocarcinoma (active glandular infiltration);
Colloidal and mucous (cyst formation with internal content of mucus and colloid).

Location of metastases in breast cancer

Atypical cancer cells can spread throughout the body through the bloodstream and lymphatic system. According to anatomical structure mammary glands, lymph is first drained from the superficial layers of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, and then through the deep lymphatic vessels. Lymph plexuses flow into nodes that are in armpits and at the level of the intercostal spaces near the thoracic artery. Often the presence of metastases is noted in the subclavian and supraclavicular nodes, in the subscapular and cutaneous lymphatic system. Depending on the form of cancer, the regional nodes of the armpits are first affected, then the nodes near the subclavian fossa are affected, then the process spreads above the collarbone and can manifest itself in the cervical lymphatic system, which causes atypical cells to enter the brain. It happens that metastases, bypassing the lymph nodes in the armpits, go directly to the supraclavicular ones, which predicts progressive course process.

The frequency of detection of metastases in the axillary and subscapular lymph nodes is almost 90% of cases in cancer of the glandular tissue of the breast. During their blockade, cancer cells are localized in the peri-sternal lymphatic depots, which are associated with the peribronchial and mediastinal lymph drainage, which explains the damage to the bone tissue of the spine, sternum, lungs and liver.

Exists specific system classification of breast cancer, which determines the presence, size, affected area and spread of tumor metastases, after which the stage of cancer and prognosis for recovery are established.

N– lymph nodes in the regional area;

N0 – regional lymph nodes are not detected;

N1 – lymph nodes in the affected area are displaced;

N1a – nodes without metastases;

N1b – metastatic nodes;

N2 - metastatic and fused lymph nodes;

N3 – metastatic nodes in the supra or subclavian region with a symptom of limb swelling on the affected side;

Nx – difficulties in analyzing the condition of regional lymph nodes due to lack of data;

M – determination of metastases in distant places;

M0 – distant metastases are not observed;

M1 – distant metastasis is determined.

Mx - difficulties in analyzing the state of regional lymph nodes due to lack of data.

There are four stages of breast cancer. The first two are considered more amenable to treatment and rehabilitation with high degree survivability. The third and fourth stages of cancer are complex process spread of cancer, since it affects not only the mammary organ, but also lymphatic system, lung tissue, brain, liver and spine, which contributes to the premature death of a sick woman.

Of course, the prognosis for recovery directly depends on early detection of the tumor, diagnosis and treatment pathological condition. In the presence of benign education, the patient is registered and prescribed therapy aimed at resolving the tumor. In the case of predicted malignancy of the formation, surgical intervention is resorted to. Depending on the cancer treatment and its stage, the viability of cancer patients is determined.

Video on the topic

Various oncological lesions are among the most complex diseases, since initial stage development, they do not make themselves felt in any way, and when the disease is in sufficient advanced stage, then therapy may not have a positive effect. If the cancer has progressed too far, it begins to get complicated. In this case, the tumor gives metastases, which scatter to various parts of the body and provoke the appearance of new malignant tumors. Let's talk about methods of treating metastatic cancer, the center of which is in the mammary gland.

Unfortunately, metastatic breast cancer simply cannot be cured completely. However, carrying out adequate therapy necessary, as it helps to cope with different unpleasant symptoms, and also significantly prolong the patient’s life.

If the patient does not have coagulation disorders, as well as decompensation of renal or liver function, chemotherapy is necessary.
The main method of correcting metastatic breast cancer is considered to be complex treatment. Doctors combine the use of chemotherapy and hormone therapy drugs. In addition, for sensitive forms of cancer, it is advisable to use targeted therapy drugs.

In most cases, patients with a similar diagnosis are recommended to use minimally toxic exposure methods. These include hormone therapy. At the same time, it is worth remembering that hormonal treatment not effective in all cases. So, if negative receptors for estrogen or progesterone are detected, the probability of improvement is less than ten percent.

In certain cases, treatment of metastatic breast cancer involves surgical interventions. Such manipulations are carried out if tumor disintegration occurs, especially if such a process leads to massive intoxication of organs and systems. Another indication for surgery is considered to be the occurrence of bleeding from a tumor formation.

Duration of treatment

The duration of therapy for metastatic breast cancer depends on a variety of factors, and is determined according to the combination of least harm and greatest benefit. Treatment is carried out as long as it is effective, and its duration is not limited by the occurrence of toxic side effects from the chemotherapy itself. Total duration Therapy can vary from a couple of months and even several years.

How is it different from chemotherapy? early stages and when metastases appear?

At the very beginning of the appearance of breast cancer, it is customary to use adjuvant or preventive chemotherapy. This tool helps to influence hidden tiny foci of tumor formation, as well as individual tumor cells that could penetrate into the most different organs according to the flow of lymph or blood.

If the disease is complicated by metastasis, then the main goal of chemotherapy is considered to be the suppression of growth processes, as well as the activity of both the primary tumor focus and obvious metastases.

Drugs for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer

When carrying out cancer chemotherapy, it is customary to use special treatment regimens that combine several drugs. They can be represented by CMF - cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil, FAC - 5-fluorouracil, adrianblastine, and cyclophosphamide. The use of treatment regimens FEC – 5-fluorouracil, cyclophosphamide and epidubicin; and DA – docetaxel and adriablastin.

In addition, the following can be used in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer: medicinal compositions, such as paclitaxel, capecitabine, mitoxantrone and vinorelbine. Quite often, preference is given to the use of cisplatin, drugs belonging to the group of monoclonal antibodies, for example, trastuzumab or Herceptin.

Complications

Since treatment for metastatic breast cancer involves taking a number of drugs in significant dosages, most patients experience one or another side effects from such therapy. So chemotherapy can cause systemic manifestations intoxication, which may include nausea and vomiting, certain changes in blood counts, as well as significant general weakness.

Some drug formulations may cause additional side effects, they should be taken into account by the oncologist who selects the treatment regimen. Thus, doxorubcin (adriablastin), at a significant dosage, can negatively affect the heart and also provoke inflammatory lesions of the mucous membranes.

Epiruubcin can especially change blood counts, and taxane drugs have negative impact on nervous system, causing peripheral neuropathy.

Prevention of complications

To eliminate or reduce vomiting, it is customary to use various antiemetic compounds, for example, ondansetron, zofran, dexamethasone, etc. To reduce the toxic effect on the heart, it is necessary to use cardioxican, and to prevent the toxic effects of taxanes, B vitamins are prescribed.

Treatment of metastatic breast cancer is carried out in specialized clinics under the supervision of qualified specialists.

In breast cancer, metastasis occurs along the mammary ducts of the gland; along lymphatic slits, capillaries and vessels; through blood vessels. Depending on the route, metastasis occurs in different tissues and organs.

Metastasis in breast cancer (Sh. X. Gantsev, 2006):

1. Regional (lymphogenous to the lymph nodes):

1.1. Axillary.

1.2. Subscapular.

1.3. Subclavian.

1.4. Supraclavicular.

1.5. Parasternal.

2. Remote (lymphohematogenous):

2.1. Contralateral axillary lymph nodes.

2.2. Contralateral supraclavicular lymph nodes.

2.3. Soft fabrics, skin.

2.4. Liver.

2.5. Lungs.

2.6. Bones: vertebral bodies, pelvic, femoral, etc.

2.7. Pleura.

2.8. Ovaries.

2.9. Brain and other organs.

Lymphogenic metastasis of cancer can occur in various directions:

1) pectoral route (60–70%) - to the paramammary lymph nodes and further to the axillary;

2) subclavian path (20–30%) - to the subclavian lymph nodes;

3) parasternal path (10%) - to the parasternal nodes;

4) cross path (5%) - to the axillary lymph nodes of the opposite side and to the other mammary gland;

5) retrosternal path (2%) - to the mediastinal lymph nodes, bypassing the parasternal ones;

6) transpectoral route (rarely) - to the central (upper) axillary lymph nodes;

7) lymphatic drainage through the lymphatic tract of Gerota (rare) - to the epigastric lymph nodes and nodes of the abdominal cavity;

8) intradermal route (rarely) - along the abdominal wall to the inguinal lymph nodes.

Most often, in breast cancer, distant metastases by hematogenous route affect the bones, lungs, liver, and skin. Cancer metastases to the lungs occur in the form of single or multiple nodes. According to V.P. Demidov (2000), metastatic bone lesions in breast cancer are detected during primary treatment of patients in 1.3–6% of cases, and are detected at autopsy in 44–70% of cases; the frequency of cancer metastases to the liver detected by scanning before radical treatment is about 1.5%, and at autopsy - from 35 to 67%

Breast Cancer Clinic

The clinical picture of breast cancer is varied and depends on various factors: the type of tumor growth, its location in the mammary gland, the stage of the disease, the presence of regional and distant metastases. Breast cancer is usually not painful. A woman complains of the presence of a tumor-like formation or lump in the mammary gland, which she often identifies on her own. The tumor gradually increases in size, but sometimes its size does not change for several months. The lump does not increase before menstruation, unlike some forms of mastopathy. Clinically, nodular and diffuse forms of breast cancer are distinguished.

Nodal form

It occurs most often (up to 75%) and is localized in the upper-outer quadrant of the mammary gland (up to 50%) or in the central zone, less often in its other parts. It is characterized by a dense nodular formation in the mammary gland with a nervous surface, unclear contours, cartilaginous density in the absence of pain. Only in some histological variants can the consistency of the tumor be softer, even tightly elastic. Positive Koenig's sign: the node does not disappear when it is pressed in a supine position against the chest wall.

Wrinkling of the skin over the tumor, resulting from shortening of Cooper's ligaments, can appear already in the early stages of cancer. This symptom indicates that the tumor grows most rapidly towards the skin. This symptom also allows you to distinguish cancer from mastopathy. With the central localization of the tumor node, under the same circumstances, a narrowing of the areola, retraction of the nipple, and its deviation towards the node appear. As the size of the tumor increases, skin retraction occurs - a symptom of “umbilification”. Deformation of the nipple (Pribram's symptom), its retraction is detected when the tumor spreads through the milk ducts. The symptom of “lemon” (“orange”) peel is a sign of the spread of the tumor process in the deep skin lymphatic crevices, and swelling of the skin of the mammary gland appears. Immobility of the mammary gland in relation to the pectoralis major muscle (Payre's symptom) indicates the growth of a tumor into it.

Diffuse forms of breast cancer

These include edematous-infiltrative, mastitis-like, erysipelas-like, and armored forms of breast cancer. Diffuse forms of breast cancer are rare - 2–4%. These forms are characterized by rapid development of the process, extensive lymphogenous and hematogenous metastasis.

Edema-infiltrative form occurs most often in young women, often during pregnancy and lactation. The mammary gland is enlarged, its skin is pasty and swollen, hyperemia and the lemon peel symptom are pronounced. The course is acute. There is often no pain. It is difficult to identify a tumor node in gland tissue. An infiltrate without clear contours is palpated, occupying most of the gland. The swelling is caused by blockade of the lymphatic pathways by metastatic emboli or compression by the tumor infiltrate. Metastases appear early in regional lymph nodes.

Armored cancer characterized by tumor infiltration of both the gland tissue itself and the skin covering it. Sometimes the process goes beyond the gland and spreads to the chest wall, to the opposite mammary gland. The skin becomes dense, pigmented, does not move easily, and resembles a shell. Many tumor nodes appear inside the skin. The mammary gland shrinks, pulls upward, and wrinkles. Tumor infiltration compresses the chest wall in the form of a shell. Of all the diffuse forms of breast cancer, the armored form is the most torpid.

Inflammatory forms of breast cancer have an acute course, are extremely malignant, quickly recur and rapidly metastasize.

At erysipelas (erysipeloid) form tumor process accompanied by severe hyperemia of the skin with uneven, tongue-shaped edges, externally resembling erysipelas; it can spread to the skin chest wall. The skin of the gland is covered pink spots, which is caused by the spread of tumor cells through the capillaries to the lymphatic vessels (carcinomatous lymphangitis). Most often, the disease is acute, with high body temperature (39–40 °C).

At mastitis-like cancer, the mammary gland is significantly enlarged, tense, compacted, and has limited mobility. Hyperemia and hyperthermia of the skin are pronounced. Diffuse compactions are palpated deep in the glandular tissue. The process spreads quickly, accompanied by a feverish rise in body temperature. Occurs in young women - pregnant and lactating.

There are other variants of breast cancer that do not fit into the typical clinical picture.

Non-palpable The type of breast cancer is determined using mammography. Usually this is a small tumor located in the deep parts of the glandular tissue.

Hidden (occult ) breast cancer first clinically manifests itself as metastases in the axillary lymph nodes. In this case, the primary tumor is not determined.

Paget's disease observed in 1–4% of patients with breast cancer. Clinically, patients have a long history of the disease with the development of eczema-like changes in the nipple, with sensations of itching, burning and weeping. Changes in the nipple are associated with underlying cancer in the breast, which is palpable in 2/3 of cases.

They do not spread throughout the body from the very beginning of tumor formation. In the early stages of the disease the immune system the body suppresses single malignant cells that enter the bloodstream. Today, the following metastasis of breast cancer is distinguished: by the spread of metastases by blood and lymph through the channels of the lymphatic system.

Metastatic breast cancer begins from the moment when the patient’s immunity is so weakened that individual cancer cells overcome the immune barrier and enter the healthy tissue, forming new tumor foci. The loss of ground by the immune system is due to the following main factors:

exposure to powerful chemicals, which suppress not only the division of tumor cells, but also the functioning healthy systems body;
the malignant tumor has already reached the stage when physical abilities the body is not able to resist this a large number cancer cells spreading through the bloodstream and lymphatic system;
the patient receives an unbalanced diet, or age makes adjustments, as well as individual feature body (immunodeficiency, other blood diseases).

Usually, intensive growth Breast cancer metastasis is observed in cases where a woman suffers from an acute subtype of this cancer. Breast cancer and the level of metastasis rate are determined by laboratory research blood. To obtain an objective clinical picture, a detailed analysis is carried out to identify the presence of proteins produced by the tumor itself in the patient’s blood and lymph. IN medical terminology of this type protein compounds are labeled ErbB-2.

Special cases of metastasis

In some cases, if clinical picture A blood test does not give a clear answer to the level of aggressiveness of the disease, and the attending physician suspects more acute form oncology, then an additional immunohistochemical complex analysis may be prescribed. In this case, the test substance is a fragment of tumor tissue.

Based on the results of this analysis, it is possible to diagnose the type as accurately as possible, without waiting for breast cancer to spread metastases throughout the body. The use of this type of analysis increases the patient’s chances of a full recovery in as soon as possible, since oncologists in the early stages receive detailed information about the type of tumor and are able to predict its behavior, they select a set of drugs for adequate therapy.

The MBC identified during the analysis indicate only one thing: that the disease has moved to the next, more severe stage, and the immune system is no longer able, as before, to maintain the patient’s health. Breast cancer is insidious in that its metastases primarily affect the nearest organs and tissues: lungs, spine, and other bones located in close proximity to the malignant formation.

Even after a complete recovery, the patient may continue to be a carrier of cancer cells that have penetrated into one or another organ and remain in a latent state. After many years, these hidden agents can activate development new tumor in a completely different part of the body.

Various factors can trigger the growth factor of latent metastases: stressful situation, alcohol abuse, smoking, poor nutrition, bad ecological situation. That is why fully recovered cancer patients, including breast cancer, are recommended to undergo routine examination with the use of preventive medications.

Breast cancer and its metastasis

When metastases spread through the lymphatic channels, malignant cells are found in the lymph nodes that are in close proximity to the mammary gland. The first such sign is an enlargement of the axillary, parasternal, and subclavian lymph nodes. This route of migration of metastases is not the most worst option developments for the patient, since cancer cells are limited in their spread and do not reach vital important organs.

Metastasis of malignant breast cancer cells through their spread through the bloodstream is the most dangerous looking damage to the body by cancer.

In this case, breast cancer metastases are found in spinal cord, spongy bones, liver, lungs, the kidneys are affected, as the main organ that filters and purifies the blood. If it enters the bloodstream, metastasis into the following bodies and systems, the woman experiences certain symptoms, namely:

metastases in cancellous bones cause aching pain in the vertebrae, rotate the bones of the pelvis and large joints. You may feel weak in lower limbs. It is not uncommon for patients to develop urinary and fecal incontinence when the lumbar vertebrae are affected;
in the case of metastases in the brain, patients complain of extensive headache, dizziness, visual impairment;
if metastases of breast cancer affect the lungs, then the first symptom is a persistent cough, shortness of breath, a reduction in the volume of previously normally functioning tissues of part of the lungs;
when the liver is affected by metastases, women complain of constant pain in the right hypochondrium, appetite disappears, body weight sharply decreases, in some cases, yellowness of the skin and whites of the eyes may develop.

The main danger of breast cancer metastasis is that even one malignant cell that gets into healthy organ, is capable of starting the division of new similar biological agents.

This subsequently leads to the formation of a full-fledged tumor. Moreover, initially, it can be so small that the patient does not even suspect the presence of cancer metastases in her organs.