In this video, Darria Long Gillespie, MD, explains how following a treatment plan and a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of breast cancer returning after treatment and spreading to other parts of the body.
Transcript
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Breast cancer detected beyond the breasts or local lymph nodes is referred to as metastatic breast cancer, or Stage IV.
The majority of people diagnosed with breast cancer will not have metastases when they are first diagnosed, although a small percentage will have metastases found
on that initial diagnosis. However, breast cancer can also return after treatment, either locally or by spreading
to distant organs, particularly in the first five years. The common sites of spread are bone, blood, brain, and liver.
If you are a breast cancer survivor, you have already reduced your risk of recurrence by following your initial cancer treatment program.
You may be able to reduce your risk of recurrence by leading a healthy lifestyle, including healthy eating and maintaining a healthy weight, exercise,
limiting alcohol, and quitting smoking. Although there is no cure for metastatic cancer, remember that you are not alone and that there
