Metastatic Breast Cancer is a type of invasive breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer occurs when cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body (bone tissue, lungs, liver, etc.) via the bloodstream. Although metastatic breast cancer is harder to treat than other stages, remember that there are still multiple lines of treatment that many women do very well on, along with new and promising clinical trials every year that are demonstrating the incredible progress in the field of breast cancer research. To learn more about the innovative and incredible field of breast cancer research, check out our blog here! 
 
Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer
 
Systemic Therapy
 Systemic therapies are therapies meant to inhibit cancer growth and spread throughout the body, rather than solely in the breast. Systemic therapies are the main treatment for stage IV/Metastatic breast cancers. The type of systemic therapy you will receive will most likely be based on the molecular subtype of your cancer, or, in other words, which biomarkers your cancer cells possess (ER, PR, and/or HER2). Systemic therapy includes hormone therapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy​. 

1) Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy is a treatment option for those who have Hormone Receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer, meaning the cancer is ER (Estrogen Receptor) and/or PR (progesterone receptor) positive. There are two main types of hormone therapy: Selective Estrogen Receptor Antagonists (SERMS) such as tamoxifen and raloxifene, and Aromatase Inhibitors such as exemestane and letrozole. To learn more about hormone therapy, click here. ​

2) Targeted Therapy
The most common type of targeted therapy is HER2 targeted therapy, for those who have HER2+ cancers. These therapies block HER2, a receptor that sets off a downstream path that allows cancer cells to divide quickly. Common HER2 directed therapies include tratuzumab and pertuzamab. However, there are other types of targeted therapies including targeted therapies for hormone receptor positive cancers (such as CDK4/6 inhibitors and P13K inhibitors), targeted therapies for those with the BCRA mutations (PARP inhibitors), and targeted therapies for those with Triple Negative Breast Cancers (antibody drug conjugates).To learn more about targeted therapies, click here.
  
3) Chemotherapy 
Chemotherapy is an option for stages I, II, III, and IV. If your cancer is ER, PR, or HER2 positive, chemotherapy may be coupled with hormone or targeted therapy, depending on the stage, grade, and recurrence risk or your cancer.   However, if your cancer is Triple Negative (TNBC/basal like) your doctor will almost always prescribe chemotherapy as a line of treatment. The most common chemotherapies are anthracyclines (also known as adriamycins) such as doxorubicin and epirubicin and taxanes such as paclitaxel and doxetaxal. To learn more about chemotherapy, click here. 

4) Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is an innovative treatment option that is showing promising outcomes, especially in later stage TNBC. Immunotherapy works through inhibiting checkpoint proteins that hide cancer cells from t-cells (your bodies immune system cells), therefore allowing your immune system to find and attack cancer cells. To learn more about immunotherapy, click here.