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New developments for metastatic treatment?

Page last modified on: November 20, 2008
Question from Wally: Were there any new developments discussed that offer hope to curing Stage IV metastatic breast cancer?
Answer —Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H.: Stage IV cancer, which refers to cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, is generally viewed as a chronic disease. What I mean by that is the patient will be dealing with her breast cancer for the rest of her life. Some people liken this to diabetes or other chronic problems like hypertension. I think cancer is different, and many of my patients don't appreciate that analogy. Nonetheless, I think it's worth preparing you for that sort of comment.

Some women with Stage IV breast cancer can live many months or even years without any evidence that their cancer is still present in their bodies. For most women, however, they will be on some form of treatment, occasionally with breaks from treatment, indefinitely. This is not to say we aren't trying to cure Stage IV disease. All of us would like nothing more than to be able to tell patients with metastatic disease that we have a cure. We would all like to be put out of business!

In the meantime, while we wait for the dramatic advances we all hope are coming, what I can tell you is that survival in Stage IV disease has improved substantially due to new drugs, better drugs, and better tolerated drugs. Please don't give up hope that the advances we are seeing in improving cure rates in early stage disease might not also improve outcome in Stage IV disease.

On Wednesday, December 19, 2007, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Updates from San Antonio 2007. Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. answered your questions and shared the newest research presented at this year's San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H.Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer, with a a special interest in cancer survivorship, patient-physician communication, and quality of care for women with breast cancer.

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