Breast cancer is when cells in the breast develop in an uncontrolled way and form a tumour.
Primary breast cancer means the cancer has not spread beyond the breast or lymph nodes under the arm. It is curable.
Secondary breast cancer is when the cancer has spread beyond the lymph nodes to the brain, lungs, liver and/or bones. It is incurable, but can be managed with treatment.
There are many different treatments, depending on the circumstances of the patient and their cancer.
Chemotherapy is one of these and it involves using chemical, systemic anti-cancer treatment (or SACT, for short). It is a very different experience for each patient and the side effects can be very unpleasant.
Radiotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
Treatment can also include surgery and hormone therapy.