This is an automatically translated article.
The article was written by doctors of Internal Oncology Department, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.Today, thanks to effective and diverse treatments, patients with metastatic breast cancer are likely to live longer, especially those in the HER-2 positive factor receptor subtype. Breast cancer patients at this stage and their families have many issues that need to be addressed to minimize the decline in quality of life. Here are five things to know when you or a loved one has advanced-stage breast cancer.
1. Multimodal treatment options
With increasingly diverse treatment advances, patients at this stage have more and more chances to live longer. If triple-negative breast cancer usually has a worse prognosis, hormone-receptor-positive and HER-2-positive patients will have a longer course of treatment. About 10% of patients with breast cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage, and about a fifth of these will live for an additional 5 years. In a review of 168 patients with HER-2 receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer, 7% of patients were able to survive for more than 10 years. Combination hormone therapy can improve survival in patients with the disease if they have positive hormone receptors.
Trắc nghiệm: Những lầm tưởng và sự thật về ung thư vú
Ung thư vú có tỷ lệ tử vong cao nhất ở nữ giới khiến họ rất lo sợ bản thân mắc phải căn bệnh này. Tuy nhiên, không ít chị em có những hiểu biết thái quá về ung thư vú. Thử sức cùng bài trắc nghiệm sau sẽ giúp bạn loại bỏ được những nghi ngờ không đúng về căn bệnh này.
Bài dịch từ: webmd.com
2. Need a palliative supportive care plan
Supportive and palliative care should be considered from the time of initial diagnosis, including symptom management and problems for the patient and family. Patients at this stage most often experience pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, delirium, and confusion. Anxiety, depression, and distress are common psychological symptoms. Supportive therapies include: Pharmacology; physical therapy; behavioral counseling; emotional support; diet management; and complementary therapies, such as yoga, acupuncture, meditation, and massage, are essential.
Managing these problems requires an appropriate treatment including hormone therapy, chemotherapy, biological therapy, radiation therapy, surgery, analgesic therapy, rehabilitation and psychological care. . Non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures can be used to control breathing difficulties.
Ngồi thiền, châm cứu là những liệu pháp hỗ trợ hiệu quả cho người bệnh
3. Mindfulness-based exercise and stress reduction
Exercise and mindfulness-based therapy are good approaches to dealing with illness-related symptoms of anxiety and depression. Exercise during treatment can reduce side effects, and exercise after treatment can increase quality of life. Yoga and moderate-intensity walking have shown resistance training to reduce anxiety, depression, and fatigue in women with the condition. Mindfulness-based stress reduction helps regulate emotions, reduce negative thoughts, and improve sleep.
4. Maintaining life balance is a challenge
Illnesses at this stage often cause changes in functioning, relationships and adversely affect self-image. The patient needs to make an effort to return to normalcy and to prioritize life.
In addition to physical and psychological problems with treatment, various factors influence a patient's treatment decision such as post-treatment care; daily tasks and activities; and the pursuit of life goals...
5. Bone is the most common site of metastasis
40% đến 75% bệnh nhân mắc ung thư vú ở giai đoạn này có di căn vào xương
40% to 75% of patients with breast cancer at this stage have bone metastases. Patients with bone metastases often experience pain, as well as hypercalcemia, and loss of mobility. Bone metastases can cause chronic pain, pathological fractures, or damage to adjacent structures. Spinal cord compression occurring from bone metastases requires urgent treatment and may occur in up to 20% of patients. Patients with ongoing back pain should be considered for spinal cord compression, as bone metastases are present in 95% of these cases. Prognosis is poor when cancer cells reach the meninges.
Treatment options for neuropathic pain associated with bone metastases include adjuvant analgesics, such as antidepressants and anticonvulsants, combined with opioid analgesia; local anesthetic; and psychological support. For bone pain not related to spinal cord compression or fracture, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen should be used in combination with opioid analgesia. For diffuse bone pain due to metastases, additional use of bisphosphonates, glucocorticoids is required. Analgesia by insertion of an infusion pump, and analgesia by vertebral plane analgesia are very good treatments for pain caused by bone metastases.
Palliative Care Unit of Oncology Department - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital is the address for pain treatment and palliative care for cancer patients. Here, patients are cared for under the guidance of experienced experts, applying pain-relieving treatments with drugs, spinal anesthesia... to help patients with terminal cancer life become lighter and more meaningful.
For more information about Pain Treatment and Palliative Care for cancer patients at Vinmec, you can contact hotline: 0243 9743 556 or register online HERE.
Source: Medscape 2019
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Where does breast cancer often metastasize to? Breast cancer treatments at Vinmec Things to know about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer
