Stage 4 Breast Cancer Survival Rates and Life Expectancy

Life expectancy for stage 4 breast cancer can vary. Breast cancer that's spread to the lungs, for example, has a five-year survival rate of 10.94%. Other factors that affect life expectancy include age, cancer subtype, tumor size, and treatments.

Stage 4 breast cancer refers to the spread of breast cancer outside the breasts and surrounding lymph nodes. The most common sites of spread include the bones, lungs, liver, and brain. Breast cancer doesn't become bone or lung cancer if it spreads to these body parts. It's still breast cancer.

Stage 4 breast cancer, or metastatic breast cancer, is the most severe and life-threatening type. There's no cure, but treatment can improve survival rates. Read on to learn how long you can live with breast cancer that has metastasized.

How Long Do You Live With Stage 4 Breast Cancer?

There's no cure for stage 4 breast cancer. The main objective of metastatic cancer treatment is instead to extend survival time while opting for therapies with the fewest side effects. The reason is to ensure the best and longest quality of life possible. 

Some people can respond to treatment for many years or even decades. Others who have a very aggressive form of the disease may have a survival time of less than one year. The five-year survival rate for women with metastatic breast cancer is 29%.

Several factors can affect your life expectancy with stage 4 breast cancer, including:

• Age
• Hormone receptors and HER2 receptors on cancer cells
• Locations the cancer has affected
• Overall health
• Tumor size

People are living longer with stage 4 breast cancer. The number of females living with metastatic breast cancer in the United States is not only increasing. People with the disease are living longer, especially younger adults. Research has found that 11% of women younger than 64 who were diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer between 2000 and 2004 lived for 10 years or more.

Survival Rates Variables

Your survival rate with stage 4 breast cancer depends on many variables. You can't control certain variables, such as age and cancer subtype. A healthcare provider can help you control others, like treatment, to improve your survival rate.

Age

Age can impact survival rates in different ways. People younger than 40 are more likely to have more aggressive types of breast cancer than others. Adults aged 79 and older also have poorer health outcomes than younger adults.

Research has shown that the five-year survival rates for the following age groups are:

• Younger than 40: 42.1%
• Aged 41 to 60: 32.8%
• Aged 61 to 80: 28.3%
• Older than 80: 11.8%

Location

Metastatic breast cancer is most likely to affect the bones, brain, liver, and lungs. The survival rate can depend on where the cancer cells have spread to:

• Bone: 39.8%
• Brain: 1.51%
• Liver: 7.34%
• Lungs: 10.94%

Cancer Subtype, Tumor Size, and Treatment

The type of breast cancer you have can impact life expectancy. About 15% to 20% of people have one type of breast cancer, called HER2-positive, in which the cancer cells produce high levels of HER2. This protein causes tumors to grow rapidly.

The five-year survival rates for the following HER2-positive and HER2-negative breast cancers include:

• HR+/HER2+: 45.6%
• HR-/HER2+: 39.5%
• HR+/HER2-: 34%
• HR-/HER2-: 12.8%

Tumor size can also affect survival rates. The survival rate for a primary tumor of 4.8 centimeters (cm) or less is 50%. This rate decreases to 25% for a primary tumor of more than 4.8 cm.

Every stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis is different, so the methods used to treat it will also differ. Stage 4 breast cancer is usually treated systemically since the cancer has already spread to other areas of the body. Systemic treatments target the whole body and usually include hormone therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.

Research has shown that the type of treatment can impact survival rates. Those who receive systemic therapies have a three-year survival rate of 67.9%.

Performance Status

Performance status (PS) measures how well you can function with breast cancer. PS ranges from a score of 0 to 100. The higher the PS score, the more able you are to take care of yourself. Some evidence suggests that PS can impact life expectancy. The better you can function on your own, the more you may be responding to treatments.

The following PS scores are linked to a median survival of:

• 80 to 100: 221 days
• 60 to 70: 115 days
• 40 to 50: 51 days
• 10 to 30: 22 days

Coping With Stage 4 Breast Cancer

It can be difficult to cope with stage 4 breast cancer. You might feel strong anger, denial, and fear. Research has shown that people with metastatic breast cancer often develop anxiety and depression. Having a support system, including family and friends, might improve outcomes.

Some evidence suggests that palliative care can prolong life expectancy. The goal of palliative care is to improve the quality of life. Palliative care helps manage symptoms and supports emotional and social health.

Newer technologies are also increasingly being used in addition to more standard systemic treatment options. These treatments include ones that sequence the DNA of cancer cells for more specified treatments. Clinical trials are also designed to offer more options and possibly better outcomes to those with stage 4 breast cancer.

A Quick Review

Stage 4 breast cancer means cancer cells have spread outside the breasts. Life expectancy for stage 4 breast cancer depends on several variables, including age, location, cancer subtype, tumor size, and treatments. Lung metastases, for example, have a five-year survival rate of nearly 11%.

A healthcare provider can work with you to determine what treatments best improve your life expectancy. They may recommend building a support group or considering palliative care. These options can help you cope with stage 4 breast cancer.