Metastatic Breast Cancer
Ok, most of us know about breast cancer, so what is this "metastatic" breast cancer?
Metastatic Breast Cancer is cancer that has spread or "metastasized" beyond the breast and lymph nodes, typically to the lung, liver, bones, or brain.
AKA "stage IV", late stage, advanced breast cancer, MBC, or "mets".
Short on time? One minute.
Seems important? Read on.
Those of you who know, know, but if it's a new mouthful, no worries - we got you and let's learn about it so we can improve or save some lives of loved ones.
Here's what we need to know:
👉🏻 No cure, but could be controlled
👉🏻 MBC patients are on treatments for a lifetime
👉🏻 Leading cause of cancer death in women < 50 years old
👉🏻 Often overlooked or de-prioritized in research due to inaccurate counts or "lost cause" perception
👉🏻 The ONLY breast cancer that kills
👉🏻 Often invisible, so others cannot always tell by physical appearance
👉🏻 18-24 months - median survival
👉🏻 22% - 5-year survival rate. 11% over 10 years.
👉🏻 ~42,000 people die from MBC each year in the US. That's a baseball stadium. (~115 lives/day)
👉🏻 ~168,000 living with MBC in the US
👉🏻 30% of those with early stage breast cancer WILL progress to metastatic at ANY time, from months to even 25+ years later
👉🏻 Only 2-5% of all breast cancer research funding goes to MBC
Sources: NIH/NCI, Metavivor, American Cancer Society, Komen
With the above on their shoulders, it should be no surprise that MBC patients and caregivers face physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges on an entirely new level compared to those with earlier stages of breast cancer. The hope with a Stage I or II diagnosis is being cured. The hope for a metastatic stage IV diagnosis is a controlled disease for as long as possible.
But… the tide may be changing
Know this.
Metastatic breast cancer can be maintained and many continue to thrive after 5, 10, and even 20 years.
New treatment developments in just the last 12 months have been groundbreaking. At the premier cancer conference ASCO in June 2022, the extremely positive results of a phase III clinical trial (DESTINY-Breast04) was presented - prolonged survival that could benefit roughly 50% of metastatic breast cancer patients. It received a standing ovation, and the FDA approved the therapy 2 months later in August. In fact, our founder's wife Janice, and inspiration for our charity, benefitted from a clinical trial using the drug last year (before approval).
All of that is encouraging, but MBC is still far behind the curve and time is of the essence - we need more breakthroughs, better quality of life, and all of this faster.
Let’s take action!
Pulling from the 80s - "knowing is half the battle". The other half is taking real action. So what can we all do?
👉🏻 Learn and remember about metastatic breast cancer - how it is different, how it's more urgent, and how it impacts lives harder. Share the knowledge.
👉🏻 Do something kind to anyone you know living with MBC. Let your state politicians know MBC needs more funding and attention (it takes 2 minutes literally - see here or here or here) and if you can do more, check out how to influence Congress.
👉🏻 Donate to help MBC causes like Unicorn or others making impact today.
Unicorn Cancer Thrivers is a charity working to improve the quality of life for those affected by metastatic breast cancer. 100% of donations go towards programs and tools to empower MBC patients & caregivers.