Stage 4 breast cancer spread to lungs life expectancy

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. Survival for breast cancer is generally good, particularly if you are diagnosed early. This is probably because of screening, early diagnosis and improved treatment.

Survival depends on many different factors. So no one can tell you exactly how long you will live. It depends on your:

  • type and stage of cancer
  • level of fitness
  • previous treatment

Your doctor can give you more information about your own outlook (prognosis). You can also talk about this with the Cancer Research UK nurses on freephone 0808 800 4040, from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Survival by stage

No UK-wide statistics are available for different stages of breast cancer or individual treatments. These figures are for survival by stage for women in England, five years after diagnosis. These are from women diagnosed between 2013 and 2017 and followed up to 2018.

Stage 1

Most women (around 98%) will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis.

Stage 2

Around 90 out of 100 women (around 90%) will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis. 

Stage 3

More than 70 out of 100 women (more than 70%) will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis. 

Stage 4

Around 25 out of 100 women (around 25%) will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they are diagnosed. The cancer is not curable at this point, but may be controlled with treatment for some years.

Cancer survival by stage at diagnosis for England, 2019
Office for National Statistics

These figures are for people diagnosed in England between 2013 and 2017. 

These statistics are for net survival. Net survival estimates the number of people who survive their cancer rather than calculating the number of people diagnosed with cancer who are still alive. In other words, it is the survival of cancer patients after taking into account that some people would have died from other causes if they had not had cancer.

Survival for all stages of breast cancer

Generally for women with breast cancer in England:

  • Around 95 out of every 100 women (around 95%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more after diagnosis
  • Around 85 out of every 100 women (around 85%) will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis
  • Around 75 out of every 100 women (around 75%) will survive their cancer for 10 years or more after diagnosis

Cancer survival by stage at diagnosis for England, 2019
Office for National Statistics

These statistics are for net survival. Net survival estimates the number of people who survive their cancer rather than calculating the number of people diagnosed with cancer who are still alive. In other words, it is the survival of cancer patients after taking into account that some people would have died from other causes if they had not had cancer.

What affects survival

Your outlook depends on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed. This means how big it is and whether it has spread.

The type of cancer and grade of the cancer cells can also affect your survival. Grade means how abnormal the cells look under the microscope.

Your general health and fitness also affect survival, the fitter you are, the better you may be able to cope with your cancer and treatment.

Another factor that can affect survival is whether the cancer cells have receptors for particular cancer drugs.

About these statistics

The terms 1 year survival and 5 year survival don't mean that you will only live for 1 or 5 years.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and researchers collect information. They watch what happens to people with cancer in the years after their diagnosis. 5 years is a common time point to measure survival. But some people live much longer than this.

5 year survival is the number of people who have not died from their cancer within 5 years after diagnosis.

Statistics are averages based on large numbers of patients. They can’t predict exactly what will happen to you. No two patients are exactly alike and response to treatment also varies from one person to another.

More statistics

For more in depth information about breast cancer survival, go to our Cancer Statistics section.

Stage 4 breast cancer occurs when cancer spreads to distant organs, tissue, or lymph nodes. Healthcare professionals may also refer to stage 4 breast cancer as advanced cancer, secondary breast cancer, or metastatic breast cancer.

Symptoms can vary based on where the cancer spreads to. Treatment for stage 4 breast cancer aims to control the cancer, alleviate the symptoms, and ensure optimal quality of life for the person living with it.

This article discusses the signs and symptoms of stage 4 breast cancer, the outlook, some treatment options, and more.

Stage 4 breast cancer occurs when cancerous cells spread to other areas of the body beyond the breast and local lymph nodes.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) notes that breast cancer most commonly spreads to the lungs, liver, and bones. It can also spread to other organs, including the distant lymph nodes, skin, and brain.

A doctor may diagnose stage 4 breast as either a new case, referred to as de novo, or as a recurrence of a previous breast cancer.

The ACS uses the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database to track 5-year relative survival rates.

A relative survival rate helps give an idea of how long a person with a particular condition will live after receiving a diagnosis compared with those without the condition.

For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate is 70%, it means that a person with the condition is 70% as likely to live for 5 years as someone without the condition.

According to the ACS, the 5-year relative survival rate for stage 4 breast cancer is 28% for females and 22% for males.

The 5-year relative survival rate can also depend on the type of breast cancer a person has. For example, the 5-year survival rate for a person with triple-negative breast cancer is 12%, and it is 19% for those with inflammatory breast cancer.

The ACS states that survival rates are based on several factors but do not take into account every aspect of a person’s health and well-being.

Some factors that survival rates do not take into account include:

  • the person’s age and overall health
  • the size of the tumor
  • the cancer’s response to treatment
  • the cancer’s HER2 status
  • the presence of hormone receptors on cancer cells
  • new treatment options that improve the long-term outlook

For this reason, it is important to remember that these figures are estimates. A person can ask a healthcare professional about how their condition is likely to affect them.

According to one 2016 article, experts generally stage 4 breast cancer to be incurable. That said, treatments can help alleviate the symptoms, shrink the tumor, and prolong survival.

A person with stage 4 breast cancer should work closely with a doctor to determine what treatment options may work best for them.

Treatment cannot cure stage 4 breast cancer. The aim of treatment is to:

  • slow down and control the growth of the cancer
  • relieve any symptoms
  • increase life expectancy and quality of life

Researchers are always looking for new ways to treat stage 4 breast cancer.

Currently, the most common treatments that doctors may recommend include:

  • targeted medications
  • chemotherapy
  • hormone therapy
  • immunotherapy
  • a combination of therapies
  • radiation therapy

Stage 4 breast cancer can take both a physical and emotional toll on a person. An important part of treatment is helping the person cope with the emotions and stress associated with the diagnosis.

Palliative care may also be an option. This type of care provides an extra layer of support to people with serious conditions and their families. It helps address physical and emotional symptoms and can maximize the person’s quality of life while they live with advanced cancer.

Some potential options for mental health care include:

  • reaching out to family and friends
  • talking with a social worker
  • having regular meetings with a psychologist or psychiatrist
  • joining support groups

BreastCancer.org suggests seeking certified and experienced counselors and workers when possible. However, it also suggests that those who are having difficulty paying may want to seek counseling through a psychologist training program or clinic.

When cancer goes into remission, tests that look for cancer cannot detect it. A doctor may refer to this pathological complete response.

Treatment may also cause partial remission. This means that treatment has destroyed a portion of the cancer but that tests can still find the cancer.

Stage 4 breast cancer will not go away completely. However, Breastcancer.org notes that treatment can help control the cancer for years. It notes that the cancer can be active at times and go into remission at other times.

Because stage 4 breast cancer is not curable, it will not disappear and then recur.

Having stage 4 breast cancer means that cancer cells from the breast tissue have spread to distant parts of the body.

Signs and symptoms can vary based on where the cancer has spread to. However, they may include bone pain, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, and severe headaches, among others.

Stage 4 breast cancer is not currently curable. However, some treatment options can slow the progression of the cancer, alleviate the symptoms, and prolong survival.

What is the prognosis for breast cancer that has spread to the lungs?

Breast cancer lung metastatic patients have a median survival rate of only 22 months after treatment, indicating poor prognoses (Smid et al., 2008). It has been reported that 60–70% of breast cancer patients who eventually died were diagnosed with lung metastasis (Jin et al., 2018).

How long can you live with stage 4 breast cancer that has spread?

About one-third of women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in the U.S. live at least 5 years after diagnosis [7]. Some women may live 10 or more years beyond diagnosis [9].

What are the final stages of stage 4 breast cancer?

Stage IV cancers have spread (metastasized) beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes to other parts of the body. When breast cancer spreads, it most commonly goes to the bones, liver, and lungs. It may also spread to the brain or other organs.

What Happens When breast cancer spreads to the lungs?

Breast cancer can spread to the lungs or to the space between the lung and the chest wall, making fluid build up around the lung. Symptoms can include shortness of breath, a cough that won't go away, and chest pain. Some people lose their appetite, leading to weight loss.