| Stage 4 breast cancer, or advanced breast cancer, | | | | opinions may give the patient more information about |
| has metastasized to other tissue including bone | | | | newly discovered successful solutions. |
| tissue, lung tissue, or the liver. When breast cancer | | | | Lung Cancer Secrets Revealed Click here |
| has overwhelmed the body’s natural defenses | | | | Early detection is clearly the most important factor in |
| and spread this far by the time the cancer is first | | | | breast cancer survival rates. Breast cancer detected |
| diagnosed, the 5-year survival rate drops to | | | | at Stage 1 while it is still localized to the breast has a |
| 16%-20% in the United States (American Cancer | | | | survival rate of 98%-100%, while metastasized |
| Society). | | | | breast cancer first detected at Stage 4 drops down |
| Wholesale Breast Cancer Awareness Products | | | | to 16%-20%. |
| Up to 5% of white women in the U.S., and up to 9% | | | | Early detection procedures must include monthly |
| of black women have advanced breast cancer | | | | self-examinations done at the same time each month. |
| spread to distant tissue at the time of first diagnosis | | | | From age 20-40, healthy women should have clinical |
| (SEER). This difference is usually attributed to | | | | breast exams performed by their health care |
| poverty and lack of health insurance. | | | | providers every three years. After age 40, the |
| In general, women who have advanced breast | | | | breast exams should be annually and should include a |
| cancer at the time of diagnosis live approximately 18 | | | | mammogram or similar procedure. |
| months after diagnosis (median survival rate). Those | | | | North American white women have the highest rates |
| who are still alive five years after their diagnosis of | | | | of breast cancer in the world, but the 5-year survival |
| advanced breast cancer can live an additional 3.5 | | | | rate for all stages (Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, and |
| years (median survival rate) according to the | | | | Stage 4) combined is 88% for the U.S. A recent |
| American Cancer Society. | | | | study found European countries have lower 5-year |
| Since this is the most deadly category of breast | | | | breast cancer survival rates, with England at 77.8% |
| cancer, it is important to work closely with all the | | | | and Ireland at 76.2% (Lancet Oncology). |
| health care providers. New treatments are being | | | | The difference in these survival rates is usually |
| developed all the time, and second, or even third | | | | attributed to life-saving early detection. |