Prevention of metastatic breast cancer
Written by:Prof. Claudio Zamagni, an expert in Oncology in Bologna, talks about the metastatic breast cancer, a topic he treated on October 26 during the national campaign "Voltati. Look. Listen. Women with metastatic breast cancer "
Breast cancer and metastasis
Breast cancer is born and develops inside the breast and can spread, sometimes even early, outside of it through lymphatic vessels and blood: in this case we talk about metastatic breast cancer. Breast cancer with metastasis is therefore not a different disease from breast cancer at an early stage, but represents a different moment in the evolution of the neoplasm. The incidence of breast tumors is stable, but in recent years, cases have increased in subjects under the age of 40 throughout the Western world.
How do we choose the best drugs for every single woman?
There are many types of breast cancer and each of them has different biological and molecular characteristics. The most appropriate pharmacological therapy for every single woman is chosen based on the characteristics highlighted by the histological and biomolecular diagnosis of the primary tumor and, when possible, also of metastatic lesions. The pharmacological treatments available to date are: various types of chemotherapies (there are several different drugs among them), anti-hormonal drugs and drugs with a molecular target. It should not be forgotten that local treatment of these lesions is also important in metastatic disease: this requires a multidisciplinary team with the involvement of a surgeon and a radiation therapist.
The importance of early diagnosis
In 1997, mammography screening programs were introduced in Emilia Romagna for patients aged between 50 and 69, and in recent years, in order to facilitate early diagnosis, they have also been extended to other age groups (45- 74 years). Promoting early diagnosis is essential not only to perform a less destructive operation, but also to reduce the risk of metastasis because when the disease becomes metastatic, the chances of recovery are drastically reduced.
Metastatic breast cancer: what are the future goals?
Today the chances of survival have clearly improved compared to the past. New therapies have been developed that reduce the possibility of metastasis and allow, in the case of metastatic disease, to prolong patient survival times. Clinical research carried out in hospitals is fundamental because it is the only tool we have to obtain more effective therapies and guarantee a long and lasting survival to a growing number of women. Our future goal is to be able to talk about healing even for women with metastatic breast cancer.