Signs of Stage 4
Signs and Symptoms of Stage 4 Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Please ask a health professional (ideally an oncologist) to check any new and unusual symptoms. Specifically, you should keep an eye out for symptoms that:
are persistent
continue for two weeks (except if you have symptoms of brain metastasis,this needs to be investigated immediately by your team)
do not resolve with prescribed or over-the-counter medication
have no obvious cause due to illness or injury
However, you must attend A&E immediately should you experience:
difficulties breathing
loss of sensation
difficulty going to the toilet (urinating/passing water)
any rapidly worsening symptoms over a short period of time
If you are diagnosed with metastatic IBC it is important to be treated more swiftly due to the rapid and aggressive nature of this specific breast cancer. Please remember that the symptoms above do not confirm a stage 4 diagnosis. In fact, many can be symptoms of something else. However, it is better to have any new, ongoing symptoms investigated.
At the present time there are a range of treatments for patients living with a stage 4 diagnosis. Individuals can without a doubt live well and respond to these treatments for many years.
Lungs
Difficulty breathing or a dry and persistent cough.
Liver
Sudden or unusual weight loss, loss of appetite. Swelling or discomfort in stomach. Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes). Itching of the skin.
Brain
Continuous headaches that don’t stop when using pain relief. Loss of feeling/lack of sensation in arms and legs. Drowsiness, nausea/vomiting. Blurred vision.
Skin
A new rash or nodule on the skin of the chest (usually around mastectomy scar initially). Skin metastasis can also appear on back, neck, arms and shoulder but not usually before they present on chest area.
Bones
Pain in bones that is not resolved by painkillers. The pain may be worse in the evening. Loss of sensation/feeling, difficulty going to the toilet (emptying bladder or bowels).