Speaking on CBS' "60 Minutes," Elizabeth said she would have let the cancer win if her husband had dropped his presidential bid.  "If I had given up everything that my life was about -- first of all, I'd let cancer win before it needed to. You know, maybe eventually it will win," she said.

Elizabeth Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and successfully battled it. However earlier this month, the cancer was discovered in one rib on the right side. Over the weekend the cancer was also detected in her hip. However the couple is refusing to give up and John Edwards was back on campaign trail.

Newslocale.org attempts to understand some of the moot points involved in metastasis and indeed metastatic breast cancer.

What is metastasis?
Metastasis refers to a condition where the cancer has spread in an area away from its primary focus. In other words, cancer has developed in other parts of the body away from where it was first discovered. The American Cancer Society says, "The spread of a tumor to a new part of the body is called metastasis."

How does cancer spread to other organs?
Sometimes cancer cells break away from the primary tumor and travel to distant sites in the body through the bloodstream or the lymph. Once implanted in a particular area they continue to grow normally as cancer cells do. Thus cancer becomes established away from the site of the primary tumor.

Where does breast cancer normally spread to?
Metastatic breast cancer is usually found in the bones (as is the case with Elizabeth Edwards), liver or the brain.

How many women can develop metastatic breast cancer?
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and is also the second leading cause of cancer death. Around 13 percent women have the chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime.

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007 about "178,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States." It adds that this year "40,460 women and 450 men will die from breast cancer in the United States."

Some 20 to 30 percent of all women first diagnosed with breast cancer are likely to face a relapse or metastasis of the cancer.

What are the chances of survival in metastatic breast cancer?
It is hard to accurately predict exactly how long a woman diagnosed with metastatic cancer can survive. However it must also be noted that many women can live for years with metastatic cancer that is firmly controlled.

What mode of treatment is followed in metastatic cancer?
If the cancer has spread to other organs like bone, liver or lung, the standard therapy for cancers of those organs is instituted. This may include chemotherapy, extensive surgery or even radiation therapy. External beam radiation therapy and/or bisphosphonates such as pamidronate (Aredia) are extremely useful in treating pain that arises as a result of bony metastases.

Eventually metastatic cancer is indeed treatable, but in some cases it is also incurable.

The above contents are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a qualified physician for any clarifications.

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