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Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgery to remove tumors, and a mastectomy, when the breast is removed, are all common treatments for breast cancer. It depends on the type of breast cancer and where it has spread, said Melissa McShane, an assistant professor at Fox Chase Cancer Center, who specializes in breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer, also known as stage IV cancer, cannot be cured, though treatments may help slow the spread. "Metastatic" means cancer that has spread from the breast to other parts of the body, such as bones, liver, and lungs. Here's what to know about metastatic breast cancer: But as Newton-John's case shows, "you're vulnerable at any time."
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"People think that if you're five years out, you're sort of over the hump," Halpin-Murphy said. While it is uncommon for cancer to return after more than two decades in remission, it's possible, which is why it is important for women and anyone who has had cancer before to keep up with routine screenings, said Pat Halpin-Murphy, president and founder of the PA Breast Cancer Coalition. When the cancer returned in 2017, this time in her spine, she fostered greater public awareness of the disease's stages as she began canceling tour dates. Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer in the 1990s and spent 25 years in remission. The death of Australian superstar Olivia Newton-John has drawn attention to an often misunderstood stage of breast cancer - metastatic breast cancer.