Foreword -- Part 1: Suspicions Of Metastatic Breast Cancer: -- Questions 1-8 cover topics related to the initial diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, including: -- Does the diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer mean an instant death sentence? -- How will my oncologist decide to treat my metastatic breast cancer? -- I want to get under way with treatment immediately and everything is taking too long; Why can't I start treatment immediately? -- Part 2: Ensuring You Are In Good Hands-Selecting The Oncology Team To Take Care Of You: -- Questions 9-18 discuss the selection of your oncology team, and important criteria to look for, such as: How do I know I'm receiving the best and most appropriate care for my current situation? -- How can I participate in the decision-making about my treatment? -- How do I select a medical oncologist who will be primarily responsible for my care and treatments? -- Part 3: Decisions Regarding Surgery And Radiation For Treatment Of Metastatic Disease: -- Questions 19-25 share information regarding surgery and radiation, with topics such as: -- My cancer has spread to my brain and is located in one spot; What are the treatment options for this type of metastasis? -- How is radiation used for treatment or control of metastatic breast cancer? -- I've had radiation already to shrink my cancer in the spine and it has regrown; Can I have radiation again? -- Part 4: Chemotherapy For Treatment Of Metastatic Disease: -- Questions 26-47 are concerned with the details of chemotherapy treatment: -- How will my oncologist decide how much chemotherapy to give me? -- How will the doctors determine if the chemotherapy is working? -- What are my chances of remission, and how long will it last? -- Part 5: Hormonal Therapy: -- Questions 48-51 discuss hormonal therapy as a treatment option: -- How does the doctor determine if I should get hormonal therapy instead of chemotherapy? -- Are there different types of hormonal therapies? How does my doctor decide which to use? -- I am taking hormonal therapy for treatment of my metastatic breast cancer; I thought chemotherapy was "better" than hormonal therapy since it is given intravenously; Is that true or a myth? --

Part 6: Side Effects Of Metastatic Breast Cancer And Its Treatment And How To Control Them: -- Questions 52-71 address emotional and physical changes that occur after diagnosis and treatment of metastatic breast cancer, as well as management strategies, including: -- What kind of side effects might I expect to experience as a result of getting treatment for my metastatic breast cancer? -- My chemotherapy and hormonal therapy have caused me to develop symptoms of menopause; How can I manage these symptoms and feel more like myself again? -- I am feeling more joint pain and backaches that make it difficult to walk around; What can I do to manage my pain? -- Part 7: Targeted Therapy: -- Questions 72-74 reviews information based on targeted therapy for metastatic breast cancer, such as: -- What is monoclonal antibody? -- What is biologic targeted therapy, and how does it work? -- Part 8: Clinical Trials: -- Questions 75-78 help decipher the pros and cons of participating in a clinical trial: -- What is a "clinical trial, " and am I a candidate to still participate in one if I have metastatic breast cancer? -- What questions should I ask the doctor about a specific clinical trial he has recommended for me? -- How do I find out about clinical trials that might be appropriate for me to consider? -- Part 9: Complementary And Alternative Medicine: -- Questions 79-85 describe alternative treatment methods, such as: -- What are examples of some complementary and alternative treatments that I might hear about or want to learn more about? -- I want to try some complementary therapies while receiving my chemo treatments; How do I go about deciding which therapies to do? -- Where can I go to get credible information that is up-to-date related to research studies that have been done regarding complementary and alternative medicine? -- Part 10: Other Common Questions: -- Questions 86-90 answer common concerns of cancer patients, including: -- My family wants me to stop smoking, but I already have incurable cancer; Do I have to stop? -- Friend of mine who has metastatic disease says that periodically she get to stop treatment for a while; How does my oncologist decide if I can have a drug holiday? How long does it usually last? -- Should I still get my annual screening mammogram? -- Part 11: End Of Life, Treatment, Crossroads, Making Plans: -- Questions 91-100 help guide you through decisions regarding end-of-life plans, such as: -- I don't know how to approach talking about such decisions with my family; How do I do this? -- How and when will the doctor recommend that I stop treatment? -- I feel very stressed about my medical situation and need time to clear my head and think about what I want to do; How can I do this? -- Drug tables -- Appendix -- Glossary -- Index.