The most advance form is metastatic or stage IV breast cancer that is extremely life-threatening. Many patients in that phase ultimately depart this world, since it then becomes incurable almost in all of the cases. As the studies reveal, about 1 to 3 percent of the patients in this stage recover. What about the remaining? They eventually rest in peace. It shows these obvious signs before killing:
Severe pain
Several body parts can feel pain especially those where the tumor has spread. One that metalizes in the bones causes joint pains and bone aches that are so deep. In case it has attacked the liver, a vital body organ, it results in frequent abdominal pain. Chest pain is occurred when metastatic breast cancer has spread to the lungs, which is very likely since it is a neighboring organ. According to a research of European Journal of Cancer Care, most of the women affected with this disease had good control over the pain in the last stages of death. This means pain is not the worst symptom ever experienced by such patients.
Psychological disturbances
Women are especially sensitive and are readily affected by any malignant disorder such as metastatic breast cancer. Depression, restlessness and anxiety are a common occurrence as published in European Journal of Cancer Care. They conducted a study on 44 affected individuals with stage IV breast cancer. The findings in the report are briefly described below:
About 50 percent of the patients suffered from depression66 percent of them had got anxiety before death due to this disease. It was observed while interviewing them all for the purpose of research.Other physical symptoms were not correlated with the occurrence of these emotional imbalances in the patients. This implies to the fact, no matter the signs are mild or severe, the presence of psychological problems remain unaffected. They just occur in the last stage regardless of other unstable medical problems involved.In the study, the concerned group of people is provide a psychological support and emotional security to the patients who are now about to say good bye to their loved ones.Gastrointestinal abnormalities
There are some signs such as constipation, involuntary urination and defecation, in which the patient loses control over bowel and urinary excretion. Nausea and vomiting are also frequent with fatigue or tiredness. Anorexia, loss of appetite is a common occurrence that subsequently causes an unintentional weight loss. The study reveals in the European Journal that these kinds of disturbances along with fatigue were the most severe symptoms of all in the patients before their death.
Swollen body organs
A serious signal is swelling of the abdomen, feet and legs. The exact reason however is not known. Abdominal area may be so due to infection, presence of a lump or inflammation. There can be difficulty walking in such a condition; the pain being another outcome of it. Breast swelling is there from almost the beginning of the disease since the person developed tumor inside. As it grows in volume, the swollen part is enlarged to accommodate.
Neurological malfunctioning
In case the metastatic breast tumor has affected the brain it leads to headache, impaired or poor vision, amnesia (the loss of memory), and confusion, inability to take decisions, cognitive problems and difficulty to make movements and walk normally.
Shortness of breath is also an alert that death is near.
How to act?
Although, metastatic cancer in 97 to 99 percent cases is incurable but still the hope remains alive, take care of the patient as much as possible with the best treatment procedures available without letting her/him know the final consequences; for this is the only option left.
Cancer is serious disease that has cause many deaths every year. Here is an article about the Breast Cancer Death Statistics.
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