Metastatic breast cancer

An ache in the affected bone

A sign of metastatic breast cancer in your bone can be an ache in the affected bone. If you get a new pain that lasts longer than about 2 weeks, talk to your doctor. Not every new ache or pain means that
breast cancer has spread to the bone, but all persistent pain needs to be checked.

Broken bones

If breast cancer spreads to your bone, it can damage the bone and weaken it. Sometimes breaking a bone (fracture) is the first sign of metastatic breast cancer. These fractures can happen after a minor injury because the bone is weakened.

Metastatic breast cancer in a bone can be treated. For most people, treatment starts long before the bone becomes weak enough to break or cause a lot of pain.

Tiredness, constipation, nausea, thirst (hypercalcaemia)

The level of calcium in your blood can increase when bone is damaged. Too much calcium in your blood is called hypercalcaemia. It can cause symptoms such as tiredness, constipation, nausea, thirst and confusion. Often hypercalcaemia is found during blood tests before symptoms develop.

Pain, weakness or tingling in your leg, loss of bladder and bowel control (spinal cord compression)

If the cancer spreads to the bones in your spine, it can press on your spinal cord and nerves. This is called spinal cord compression. It can cause symptoms such as pain, weakness or tingling in your leg and loss of bladder and bowel control. If this happens, visit your doctor or emergency department immediately. It is very important to treat spinal cord compression quickly.

Loss of appetite, tiredness, nausea or discomfort on the right side of your tummy

If breast cancer has spread to your liver, you might have loss of appetite, tiredness, nausea or discomfort on the right side of your tummy, where your liver is found.

Itching, yellow skin and eyes, dark pee and pale poo

The liver works by filtering blood from the digestive system, metabolising drugs, detoxifying chemicals and making bile to help digest food. If the cancer blocks the drainage tubes in your liver, bile can build up in your blood. This can cause jaundice and turn your skin and the whites of your eyes yellow. Your skin can feel itchy as a result. It can also make your urine darker and your poo paler.

Swollen tummy

Sometimes cancer can make your liver bigger or cause fluid to build up in your tummy. This fluid is called ascites and can make your tummy swell up. 

Your liver will continue to work when part of it, or even most of it, is out of action.

Shortness of breath or a persistent dry cough

One of the first signs of metastatic breast cancer in the lungs is shortness of breath or a persistent dry cough. The space between your lungs and ribcage is called the pleural cavity. If cancer cells enter this space, they can cause fluid to build up and put pressure on your lungs.

Headaches and nausea

Symptoms of metastatic breast cancer in the brain can include headaches and nausea. 

Weakness in arms or legs, changes to vision, numbness or tingling

Sometimes cancer causes changes in the part of your body controlled by that part of the brain. For example, your arm or leg may be weaker than usual or you may have a feeling of numbness, tingling or pins and needles, or changes to your vision.

Seizures, confusion, personality changes

Cancer in the brain can also cause seizures and in rare cases, confusion or a change in personality.

Cancer on the skin – sometimes called skin metastases – usually happens in areas close to where the original breast cancer was. It is different from local recurrence. Symptoms of skin metastases include:

• Redness and inflammation in an area of skin
• A rash
• A firm, painless lump (or lumps) on or just below the skin

Skin metastases can also cause a swelling called lymphoedema.