Secondary cancer, also called advanced or metastatic cancer, is not curable, so the aim of treatment is to relieve symptoms. It's possible for breast cancer to spread to other parts of the body, usually through the blood or the axillary lymph nodes. These are small lymphatic glands that filter bacteria and cells from the mammary gland. Surgery is usually the first type of treatment you'll have, followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy or, in some cases, hormone or targeted treatments. The exact causes of breast cancer are not fully understood. However, there are certain factors known to increase the risk of breast cancer. About 1 in 7 women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. There's a good chance of recovery if it's detected at an early stage.

As the risk of breast cancer increases with age, all women who are 50 to 70 years old are invited for breast cancer screening every 3 years.

If cancer is detected at an early stage, it can be treated before it spreads to other parts of the body. If you have an increased risk of developing the condition, some treatments are available to reduce your risk. Some types of drugs can change nerve impulses and help relieve nerve pain. Gabapentin (Neurontin ®) and pregabalin (Lyrica ®) are drugs that work in this way. They are also used to treat epilepsy. Other types of epilepsy drugs and anti-depressants are also used to treat nerve pain. Some people may worry that they are being given anti-depressants because the doctor thinks the pain is in their mind. But, anti-depressant drugs are given to people with peripheral neuropathy because of the way they act on nerves. Painkillers also sometimes help. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

The NHS is in the process of extending the programme as a trial, offering screening to some women aged 47 to 73. After examining your breasts, a GP may refer you to a specialist breast cancer clinic for further tests. This might include breast screening (mammography) or taking a small sample of breast tissue to be examined under a microscope (a biopsy). The most effective treatment for peripheral neuropathy is to prevent further damage to the nerves and to manage the symptoms. Sometimes it can help to lower the dose of the drug that is causing the problem. If your symptoms continue to get worse, your doctors may have to stop the treatment. The type of surgery and the treatment you have afterwards will depend on the type of breast cancer you have. Your doctor should discuss the best treatment plan with you. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK. Most women diagnosed with breast cancer are over the age of 50, but younger women can also get breast cancer.For most people, symptoms gradually improve once the drug is stopped, but they can sometimes continue to get worse for a few weeks. This is called coasting.

Stopping treatment because of symptoms can be very difficult for some people to accept, especially if the treatment is working well. Your doctors will usually talk to you about whether another type of anti-cancer drug can be given instead. Or some other kind of treatment, such as radiotherapy, may be suggested. It is important not to stop treatment without talking to your cancer specialist first. There isn’t a treatment to prevent or reverse nerve damage caused by anti-cancer drugs. Studies are looking at various drug treatments to see if they can help protect against nerve damage during anti-cancer treatment. There are also studies looking into whether any treatments can reverse nerve damage that has occurred. But at the moment, there isn’t enough evidence that any of these drugs work. There are several different types of breast cancer, which develop in different parts of the breast.Many hospitals have pain teams with specialist doctors and nurses who are experts in pain control. Your GP or hospital doctor can refer you to a pain team if your pain is difficult to control. Psychological support If you've been through the menopause, it's particularly important that you try to get to, and maintain, a healthy weight. Women with a higher-than-average risk of developing breast cancer may be offered screening and genetic testing for the condition. Mammographic screening, where X-ray images of the breast are taken, is the most commonly available way of finding a change in your breast tissue (lesion) at an early stage.