What Can Happen if Breast Cancer Remains Untreated?

By Dr. Kathleen Ruddy

Breast cancer is a serious form of cancer that affects one in eight women in America. Due to an incredible amount of research and many advances in medical technology, being diagnosed with breast cancer is no longer a death sentence. However, it is crucial to note that if left untreated, breast cancer can be quite serious and even deadly. Breast cancer without treatment has a much higher mortality rate than a cancer diagnosis which is caught and treated early. Knowing the risk factors associated with untreated breast cancer is important to really understand the severity of breast cancer and the complications that can occur if it goes untreated.

Untreated Tumors

Breast cancer begins with cancerous tumors or growths in the breast tissue. If the cancer is diagnosed and treated while the tumor is contained, often the prognosis for remission and survival is quite high. However, if left untreated the tumor can quickly grow, allowing more cancerous cells to spread through the body. The cancer begins to grow within the breast tissue and can erode through the skin of the breast. This can lead to an open tumor that is highly susceptible to infection. Untreated tumors are painful, can become infected, and may spread throughout the body. Thus, if the tumours are not treated quickly, they can become serious within a short period of time.

Noninvasive Tumors Versus Invasive Tumors

Not all types of breast cancer are the same. One woman’s diagnosis will always be different when compared to another woman’s. Also, the treatments of cancer vary greatly and depend on the severity of the cancer. Breast cancer is classified as noninvasive or invasive. If a woman has a noninvasive tumor, it is not life-threatening because the tumor is contained and less dangerous. However, if the tumor is not treated and removed, it can develop into invasive breast cancer quite quickly and become a life-threatening situation. Invasive breast cancer is far more serious. The cancer cells spread into the surrounding breast tissue and break away, entering the bloodstream and lymph system. Invasive breast cancer can quickly spread to other organs of the body and is a very serious diagnosis, if left untreated.

DID YOU KNOW?

There is no real understanding of what exactly causes breast cancer. What is known is that nearly two in every three women who develop invasive cancer are over the age of 55, and breast cancer is nearly 100 times more common in women than it is in men.

Metastasized Cancer

If breast cancer has already spread to other organs, leaving it untreated can be very serious and deadly. The likelihood of mortality is very high in cases when breast cancer metastasizes and is not treated medically. In these cases the cancer often spreads to the liver, brain, or lungs. This can cause the affected organs to cease functioning correctly. Over time, this can lead to the overall decline of the body, and ultimately death. If the cancer only spreads to the bones, and no other organs, metastasized cancer can remain untreated for years. In these cases, while the cancer is still very serious, it does not have the same immediate effect on the internal organs.

Osteolytic Metastasis

While breast cancer that metastasizes to the bones may not be fatal as other stages of cancer, if left untreated, you are putting yourself at risk of death and losing everything you have. Typically, metastasized cancer goes into the bones first. The cancerous cells eat away at the bones of the arms, legs, spine, pelvis, and skull, while creating small holes in the bones. This is what is known as osteolytic metastasis. The bones are weakened and the mineral density is increased. Because this stage of cancer can literally eat away at the bones, this leaves the remaining bone brittle and easily fractured. Fragile, frail bones can leave breast cancer patients susceptible to broken bones and other non-cancer related injuries that can prove very serious.

Breast cancer is not a death sentence. Caught early on, tumors can be removed and many women live long and healthy lives cancer free after receiving the diagnosis of breast cancer. However, breast cancer can be aggressive and spread quite quickly. The spread of breast cancer from stage one to stage four can be quite predictable, so getting treatment early assures the diagnosis will be positive. While everyone’s experience, diagnosis, and prognosis are different, the side effects and risk factors associated with untreated breast cancer can be very serious. Understanding the risks associated with untreated breast cancer are important, whether you are facing a breast cancer diagnosis or simply want to know more about a disease that affects so many people worldwide.

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