Skip to content

Time between primary cancer and metastases?

Page last modified on: September 17, 2008
Question from Gail Anne: What is the significance of the length of time between the primary breast cancer and the metastases?
Answer —Eric Winer, M.D.: There are no absolute rules, but, generally, the longer the time between initial diagnosis and the development of metastases, the more likely a woman will do well with her metastatic breast cancer, and the more likely that that cancer will be hormone-receptor-positive. But having said that, there are sometimes women who have very short intervals between diagnosis and recurrence who still go on and do well for an extended period of time.

On Wednesday, September 17, 2003, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Metastatic Breast Cancer. Musa Mayer, Eric P. Winer, M.D., and Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about treatment and quality of life issues related to advanced (metastatic) breast cancer.

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.

A production of LiveWorld, Inc.
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

Together we can make a difference

Email Updates

Stay informed about current research, online events, and more.

Please leave this field empty

Meet the Experts

Musa Mayer is a trained counselor with a specialty in women's issues, a patient advocate for the National Cancer Institute and has written a memoir of her own experiences with breast cancer.

Eric Winer, M.D.Eric Winer, M.D. is director of the breast oncology center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Gillette Centers for Women's Cancers and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

Back to top

Breastcancer.org 7 East Lancaster Avenue, 3rd Floor Ardmore, PA 19003

Learn more about our commitment to your privacy

© 2010 Breastcancer.org - All rights reserved.

Breastcancer.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing information and community to those touched by this disease. Learn more about our commitment to providing complete, accurate, and private breast cancer information.