Metastatic Breast Cancer, also known as stage IV cancer, is a type of cancer that spreads beyond the breast to other parts of the body. It extends to the lungs, bones, liver, brain, and lymph nodes. This process of cancer spreading is known as metastasis since it can be hard to understand what it is. Read more about how it spreads, what are its symptoms, treatments, natural remedies, and foods to eat and avoid.

What causes metastatic breast cancer?
Many factors can cause breast cancer, but the most common causes are:

Hormonal imbalance : Some women experience hormonal imbalance that causes the cells in their breasts to grow faster than average. This is called hormones on top of hormones or hyperplasia (overgrowth).

Genetics : Your susceptibility depends on how often your family has been affected by this type of cancer, or if anyone had a strong genetic link to it.
Environmental factors: This could be the radiation exposure that plays a pivotal role in developing metastatic breast cancers—but not always. For example, some women exposed to radioactive particles during treatment for another illness may develop the metastatic disease later.

Symptoms
The symptoms of Metastatic breast cancer vary depending on which organs are affected by the spread of cancer. Some symptoms are:

Bone pain or fractures with no trauma

Shortness of breath or slight wheezing

Yellowing of the skin and the eyes (jaundice)

Lump in your neck or above your collarbone

Natural remedies

Follow a healthy and balanced meal.

Make time for regular workouts.

Practice mindfulness and meditation to help alleviate stress and anxiety, and promote body healing by balancing hormones and reducing inflammation.

Make time for yourself every day—even if it is just for a few minutes. You’ll more likely take care of yourself if you follow a proper schedule. Make sure that whatever tasks are getting done during those blocks are not contributing to extra stressors like taking calls from clients or working late at night.
Make sure you get enough sleep regularly, and your body will thank you for it. Also, do not forget about naps as they are helpful in resting and resetting our bodies and minds.

Treatment methods
Metastatic breast cancer’s few treatment methods include:
Chemotherapy : Chemotherapy treats cancer by eliminating the fast-growing cells that develop new tumors. It involves administering chemicals that kill cancer cells or prevent them from growing and spreading throughout your body.
Hormone therapy: This therapy involves taking hormones to help slow or seize cancerous growth from spreading throughout the body. This treatment does not affect hormones outside normal ranges, so one needs additional monitoring after starting therapy, especially if there are already high levels present before treatment.

Foods to eat
Eat foods high in vitamin C & D and calcium. These three nutrients support your immune system, as it allows you to fight off cancer cells. They also strengthen your bones to absorb more calcium from food.
It is best if you eat foods high in zinc and selenium (an anti-inflammatory agent found in nuts). Zinc helps slow down the growth of cancer cells by blocking their ability to divide quickly. It is required for healthy cell division itself. Sufficient levels of this mineral have been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence by 40% after chemotherapy treatment ends.

Selenium also plays a vital role in DNA repair. It repairs cells instead of letting them build up until they become too damaging for normal functioning tissue such as skin or hair follicles – which happen when we get older due to age-related changes called telomere shortening.

Foods to avoid
Avoid processed foods with preservatives and chemicals that can increase your risk for cancer.
It is best to refrain from consuming sugar since it is linked to increasing the risk of breast cancer. So try not to overeat or consume added sugar in your meals if you have metastatic breast cancer.
It is best recommended to avoid dairy products like milk and yogurt because of their high estrogen levels. Estrogen may contribute to the development of tumors in some individuals with breast cancer or multiply than normal cells.
Reduce red meat consumption as it contains harmful substances called heterocyclic amines, which may promote tumor growth to those who consume large amounts, even though no concrete evidence links this association directly between heterocyclic amines.

Conclusion

Metastatic breast cancer is an unprecedented ailment that can affect anyone at any point in time. Thus, it is imperative to know what causes it, its symptoms, natural remedies, and any treatment methods. You can learn more on how to heal or how to deal with it if it is already at a developing stage. More so, it is always best to stay positive during such situations. Having a positive mindset can help significantly in fighting against such serious health issues.