WHEN BREAST CANCER SPREADS TO BONE, WHY IS IT STILL CALLED BREAST CANCER?
When cancer spreads to a new place in the body, it has the same type of cancer cells as the original tumor–and therefore the same name.5 For example, breast cancer that spreads to the bone is still breast cancer, not bone cancer. This is important because cancer treatment plans are based on where the cancer started.1
WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF YOU HAVE BONE METS FROM BREAST CANCER?
As tumors grow, they can weaken and destroy the bone. Bone mets can lead to serious bone problems. Serious bone problems are defined as1:
- Broken bones (fractures)
- A need for surgery to prevent or repair broken bones
- A need for radiation treatments to bone
- Pressure on the spinal cord (spinal cord compression)