Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Overview: Biology Is the Foundation of Therapy
- PART I BASIC RESEARCH
- PART II CLINICAL RESEARCH
- 23 Introduction to Clinical Research
- 24 Sarcoma
- 25 Neuroblastoma
- 26 Retinoblastoma
- 27 Primary Brain Tumors and Cerebral Metastases
- 28 Head and Neck Cancer Metastasis
- 29 Cutaneous Melanoma: Therapeutic Approaches for Metastatic Disease
- 30 Gastric Cancer Metastasis
- 31 Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
- 32 Metastasis of Primary Liver Cancer
- 33 Advances in Management of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
- 34 Lung Cancer Metastasis
- 35 Metastatic Thyroid Cancer: Evaluation and Treatment
- 36 Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
- 37 Bladder Cancer
- 38 Bone Complications of Myeloma and Lymphoma
- 39 Breast Metastasis
- 40 Gynecologic Malignancies
- 41 Prostate Cancer Metastasis: Thoughts on Biology and Therapeutics
- 42 The Biology and Treatment of Metastatic Testicular Cancer
- 43 Applications of Proteomics to Metastasis Diagnosis and Individualized Therapy
- 44 Critical Issues of Research on Circulating and Disseminated Tumor Cells in Cancer Patients
- 45 Lymphatic Mapping and Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
- 46 Molecular Imaging and Metastasis
- 47 Preserving Bone Health in Malignancy and Complications of Bone Metastases
- 48 Role of Platelets and Thrombin in Metastasis
- THERAPIES
- Index
- References
39 - Breast Metastasis
from PART II - CLINICAL RESEARCH
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Overview: Biology Is the Foundation of Therapy
- PART I BASIC RESEARCH
- PART II CLINICAL RESEARCH
- 23 Introduction to Clinical Research
- 24 Sarcoma
- 25 Neuroblastoma
- 26 Retinoblastoma
- 27 Primary Brain Tumors and Cerebral Metastases
- 28 Head and Neck Cancer Metastasis
- 29 Cutaneous Melanoma: Therapeutic Approaches for Metastatic Disease
- 30 Gastric Cancer Metastasis
- 31 Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
- 32 Metastasis of Primary Liver Cancer
- 33 Advances in Management of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
- 34 Lung Cancer Metastasis
- 35 Metastatic Thyroid Cancer: Evaluation and Treatment
- 36 Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
- 37 Bladder Cancer
- 38 Bone Complications of Myeloma and Lymphoma
- 39 Breast Metastasis
- 40 Gynecologic Malignancies
- 41 Prostate Cancer Metastasis: Thoughts on Biology and Therapeutics
- 42 The Biology and Treatment of Metastatic Testicular Cancer
- 43 Applications of Proteomics to Metastasis Diagnosis and Individualized Therapy
- 44 Critical Issues of Research on Circulating and Disseminated Tumor Cells in Cancer Patients
- 45 Lymphatic Mapping and Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
- 46 Molecular Imaging and Metastasis
- 47 Preserving Bone Health in Malignancy and Complications of Bone Metastases
- 48 Role of Platelets and Thrombin in Metastasis
- THERAPIES
- Index
- References
Summary
PATTERNS OF METASTATIC SPREAD
Background
Breast cancer is an important public health problem, with more than one million new cases worldwide annually. In the developed world, early-stage disease represents an increasing proportion of incident breast cancer diagnoses, whereas metastatic breast cancer (MBC) without a preceding diagnosis of early-stage disease is a rare event. However, despite an early-stage diagnosis, up to one-third of patients will experience distant relapse. MBC is treatable but incurable, with a median survival of two to three years. Consequently, clinicians often recommend systemic adjuvant therapy for patients with early breast cancer (EBC), as it prevents or delays the development of incurable metastatic disease. Adjuvant therapy may comprise hormonal therapy, cytotoxic chemotherapy, and targeted therapy, depending on the breast cancer subtype, the individual's risk of recurrence, and various patient-specific factors including age, menopausal status, and comorbid conditions.
Breast cancer is a heterogenous disease with respect to natural history and response to therapy. More than 95 percent of breast cancers arise from the breast epithelium and are carcinomas. The two most common histological subtypes are invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), which account for approximately 75 percent and 15 percent of breast cancers, respectively. IDC cells are typically clustered in well-formed glandular structures, whereas ILC cells are frequently organized in single file. These distinct cellular patterns are commonly used to distinguish the two histologic subtypes.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Cancer MetastasisBiologic Basis and Therapeutics, pp. 425 - 439Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011