Breast cancer stage IV, also known as metastatic breast cancer, is the last and most advanced stage of breast cancer. If the cancer has reached this stage, it means it is not curable anymore. This also indicates that it has spread to other parts of the body, like the lungs and the brain. Women who get diagnosed at breast cancer stage IV, usually experience some common symptoms. They are:

1. Lumps in the breast
When breast cancer is at its early stages, the size of the tumor is too small to be seen or felt with one’s hands. Therefore, mammograms and other screening tests are ordered by the doctor to detect cancer at these stages. However, at stage IV, the tumor has grown big enough to form a visible lump on the breast. The lump can be under the armpit or anywhere in the surrounding area. Sometimes some swelling around the breasts or armpits can also be experienced.

2. Changes in the skin
In some cases of breast cancer, changes in the skin may appear. Paget’s disease is a type of breast cancer that affects the area around the nipple. In this condition, tumors form inside the breast and the skin may become itchy, red, or may even get thicker. Some tingling sensation on the skin may also be experienced. In inflammatory breast cancer, changes in the skin may also be noticed. In this condition, the cancer cells create a blockage in the lymph nodes which leads to swelling, redness, and dimpling of the skin. At stage IV, all of the symptoms might show up if the tumor has grown to a very large size and it affects the breast skin.

3. Discharge from the nipple
Although nipple discharge can be a symptom of any breast cancer stage, it is more frequently experienced at stage IV. Any fluid that oozes out of the nipple is known as nipple discharge. It can be yellowish and may look like pus or it can even look bloody. In some cases, the discharge can have no colour also.

4. Inflammation or swelling
In the early stages of breast cancer, no changes in the appearance of the breast can be noticed. However, in the later stages, especially at stage IV, swelling of the breast or armpit area can be experienced. This happens when the lymph nodes become cancerous and start creating a blockage for the normal flow of fluid. This leads to an accumulation of fluid or lymphedema.

5. Breast pain
At stage IV, cancer has affected many parts of the body. As the cancer cells spread, they start creating pressure and start damaging the surrounding tissues. Also, at this stage, the tumor can become so large that it starts to grow into the skin causing sores or ulcers that hurt. The cancer cells can also spread to the ribs and chest, causing extreme pain.