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HealtiNation<\/strong><\/p>\n Metastatic breast cancer is not a specific type of breast cancer, but rather the most advanced stage of breast cancer (also known as stage IV). The term metastatic means the cancer has spread beyond the initial site, in this case, the breast, to other parts of the body. The most common sites for metastatic breast cancer to spread are the bones, lungs, liver, lymph nodes, and sometimes the brain.<\/p>\n It\u2019s estimated that at least 154,000 people in the U.S. have metastatic breast cancer. Some women have metastatic breast cancer when they are first diagnosed (called de novo metastatic breast cancer), but it\u2019s uncommon. \u201cAbout 10% of breast cancers present initially with metastatic disease, but the majority of patients present with early stage breast cancer,\u201d says Amy Tiersten, MD, a hematologist and oncologist at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. While many cases of early stage cancer can be cured, in some instances the cancer can come back years later as metastatic breast cancer.<\/p>\n