General symptoms
Many symptoms of secondary breast cancer are very similar to those of other conditions. Any new symptom will understandably cause worry. It is always important to get any concerns checked out.
Some general symptoms that breast cancer may have spread include:
- Feeling constantly tired
- Constant nausea (feeling sick)
- Unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite
Signs that breast cancer may have spread to the bones
The main symptoms of secondary breast cancer in the bone include:
- Pain in your bones, which doesn’t get better with pain relief and may be worse when lying down or at night
- Bone fractures (breaks)
- Unexplained back pain, difficulty walking, numbness and loss of bladder or bowel control
- Feeling sick and being sick, fatigue, passing large amounts of urine, confusion and being thirsty, which may be signs of high levels of calcium in the blood
Signs that breast cancer may have spread to the lungs
Symptoms of secondary breast cancer in the lungs include:
- Feeling out of breath either when doing activity or resting
- A cough that doesn’t go away
- Pain or tightness in the chest that doesn’t go away
Signs that breast cancer may have spread to the liver
Symptoms of secondary breast cancer in the liver include:
- Pain in the tummy (abdomen) which may also be felt in the right shoulder
- Discomfort or pain in the right side of the abdomen under the ribs
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Hiccups
- Build-up of fluid in the abdomen causing swelling (ascites)
- A general feeling of being unwell
- Feeling constantly tired
- Itching and yellowing of the skin (jaundice)
Signs that breast cancer may have spread to the brain
Symptoms of secondary breast cancer in the brain include:
- Headache
- Feeling sick (nausea) and being sick (vomiting) especially when waking in the morning
- Weakness or feeling numb down one side of the body
- Dizziness, unsteadiness or loss of balance and co-ordination
- Fits (seizures)
- Difficulty with speech
- Problems with vision
- Changes in behaviour, mood or personality
- Confusion
- Memory problems
Signs that breast cancer may have spread to the skin
Symptoms of secondary breast cancer in the skin include:
- A change in the colour of the skin
- A persistent rash
- A firm, painless small lump (nodule) or multiple lumps of different sizes
- Lymphoedema (swelling of the arm, hand or breast area)
- Pain
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Smell
Signs that breast cancer has spread to the lymph nodes
- A lump or swelling under your arm, breastbone or collarbone area
- Swelling in your arm or hand
- Pain
- Dry cough
Signs that breast cancer has spread to the abdomen (belly)
- Abdominal pain
- Swollen belly
- Feeling sick all the time
- Loss of appetite
- Feeling full quickly when eating
- A build-up of fluid in the belly
- Constipation
- Feeling bloated
FAQs
People, especially those who have been treated for breast cancer, should watch for symptoms such as: Unusual, persistent back or neck pain that is not explained by injury or exercise. Pain in the bones. Unexplained shortness of breath or cough.
What is the first hint of metastatic breast cancer? ›
People, especially those who have been treated for breast cancer, should watch for symptoms such as: Unusual, persistent back or neck pain that is not explained by injury or exercise. Pain in the bones. Unexplained shortness of breath or cough.
How do you know if breast cancer is secondary? ›
Symptoms of secondary breast cancer
If it has spread to the bones there might be a painful area in a bone. If it has spread to a lung it may cause breathlessness. Some people have general symptoms, such as feeling more tired, poor appetite or feeling generally unwell for no obvious reason.
What is the most common secondary cancer after breast cancer? ›
The most common second cancer in breast cancer survivors is another breast cancer. (This is different from the first cancer coming back.) The new cancer can develop in the opposite breast, or in the same breast for women who were treated with breast-conserving surgery (such as a lumpectomy).
How long do people live with metastatic breast cancer? ›
About one-third of women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in the U.S. live at least 5 years after diagnosis [168]. Some women may live 10 or more years beyond diagnosis [168].
Where is the first place breast cancer usually spreads? ›
The lymph nodes under your arm, inside your breast, and near your collarbone are among the first places breast cancer spreads. It's “metastatic” if it spreads beyond these small glands to other parts of your body.
Would metastatic breast cancer show on mammogram? ›
Clinically, these patients tend to present with solitary discrete nodule or may be asymptomatic. Pain, tenderness or nipple discharge are unusual. On mammography, metastatic breast masses can be well circ*mscribed, ill circ*mscribed mass, an asymmetric density or occult.
How long after primary breast cancer can secondary cancer occur? ›
Secondary breast cancer usually occurs years or sometimes months after primary breast cancer, but for some people it's diagnosed at the same time as the primary breast cancer or before the primary breast cancer has been discovered.
Can a blood test detect secondary breast cancer? ›
When breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, the amount of certain substances in the blood may increase. Blood tests can measure these substances and show any changes.
What is the most common site of breast cancer metastasis? ›
The most common locations that breast cancer metastasizes to are the bones, lungs, liver, and brain. The symptoms of metastatic breast cancer depend on which part of the body is affected. A doctor will use blood tests, imaging tests, and tissue biopsies to help make a diagnosis.
Secondary breast cancer means that a cancer that started in the breast has spread to another part of the body. It most commonly spreads to the liver, lungs, brain, or bones. . Many people can live a normal life for a number of years.
How long can you live after secondary breast cancer? ›
Many women with metastatic breast cancer will live only a handful of years, says Hendershott. But about one-third will live at least five years after their diagnosis. And “there are people who have been living with stage IV breast cancer for more than 15 years,” she says.
Is secondary breast cancer classed as terminal? ›
Secondary breast cancer may respond to several types of treatment. Doctors usually start with treatment that has as few side effects as possible. Stage 4 breast cancer is unlikely to be cured. But treatment can often keep the cancer under control for many months or years.
Can you live 20 years with stage 4 breast cancer? ›
Some people might live for 20 years with metastatic breast cancer, she said, while others might only live for a year or so. "When [SEER] looks at metastatic breast cancer…it's in people who were stage 4 from the very beginning," she said.
Can chemo get rid of metastatic breast cancer? ›
Although systemic drugs are the main treatment for stage IV breast cancer, local and regional treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, or regional chemotherapy are sometimes used as well. These can help treat breast cancer in a specific part of the body, but they are very unlikely to get rid of all of the cancer.
Can you have stage 4 cancer and not know it? ›
A person may not experience any symptoms of stage 4 cancer. However, if symptoms are present, they can differ depending on where the cancer has spread. For example: Spread to the bone: A person may experience fractures and bone pain.
Can you have metastatic breast cancer and not know it? ›
Sometimes metastasis to the bones can have no symptoms. But if symptoms are present, some of the first signs of metastatic breast cancer in the bones can include11: Severe, progressive bone pain, particularly in the spine, ribs, pelvis, or long bones in the arms and legs.
How often does Stage 1 breast cancer become metastatic? ›
Breast cancer (BC) is mainly diagnosed in early stages (90–95%), however 20–30% of these patients become metastatic [1] and to this day incurable.
