The “M” Word: Metastatic

Before my daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer, the “M” word was not a part of my vocabulary.  I am not sure I had even heard of it, even when I read about or heard people tell their own stories of their loved ones dying of this awful disease. My girl’s cancer was labeled stage 2, and since I wasn’t sure what that meant I started doing some research and that’s when I learned about stage 4 and found the “M” word for the first time.

Metastatic.

There have been major advancements in detecting breast cancer in the early stages, when the goal of treatment is curative. My daughter found her lump while performing a breast self-exam in the shower, which had been prompted by Breast Cancer Awareness Month marketing campaigns. The tumor was very close to the outside of her breast, so it was easy to find. When she felt it growing, she took her concerns to her doctor a few months later and her fears were confirmed. In this case location was everything because… metastatic breast cancer can happen before there is any evidence of the disease being present in the breast.

Before March of 2019 I did not know that, for the most part, if breast cancer stays in the breast, it can potentially be cured. Even if it moves into some nearby surrounding tissues or lymph nodes, as it did with my daughter, treatment may be able to kill the beast. But when it finds its way to distant areas of the body like the liver, or the brain, or the bones, the treatment path is very different. At this point, the medical system is looking at prolonging life or enhancing its quality because there is no cure, meaning … metastatic breast cancer is typically terminal.

Terminal can mean weeks, or months, or even years. I know of some people who have been “living with” metastatic breast cancer for more than a decade. But, for the most part, they are forever engaged with some type of treatment. For some, it’s hormonal. For others, it’s radiation or ongoing chemotherapy.  And for some, it’s clinical trials. Oncologists do everything they can to keep patients alive, but unfortunately … metastatic breast cancer often stops responding to treatment.

As of today, my daughter’s status is “no evidence of disease,” meaning that when she has her regular screenings such as a mammogram or an MRI, no cancer can be found. While this should make us feel more confident of the idea that her treatment was curative, especially as we move further away from her initial diagnosis, that fact that she was 27 makes a difference because she has a significantly higher risk of it coming back not in her breast but rather as a … metastatic recurrence.

So if you are wondering why I am still invested, why I still write about it, why I still try to educate myself and others about the impact of a breast cancer diagnosis on a young woman, here’s your reason: the “M” word.

I only wish it were Samuel L. Jackson’s favorite expletive, but you can bet if my child is ever diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer I’ll be using his … a lot.

Debbie Legault is the mother of a young woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 27.

This piece reflects the author’s personal experience and perspective. For medical advice, please consult your health care provider.

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