My initial reaction was not hopeful. I figured radiation for the spine metastases but wasn't sure what else they could do. But then I found this specific link and there seem to have been a lot of young women who have done fairly well with chemo and radiation.

I wouldn't worry too much about the low oxygen saturations right now. The morphine for pain is probably contributing to that quite a bit as it tends to suppress respiratory drive, which given her lung mets may in some ways be a good thing as far as her comfort.

In any case, there are several women who have done very well with Stage IV with multiple mets and that should provide you and your friend with hope, especially given her young age.

http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/8/topic/783476

I would be wary of seeking prognosis from random people online personally. There is no way we can give any degree of accuracy.

One thing my mum was told at the beginning was that it would seem like she was more or less well at first and as the treatments kicked in, it would seem like the doctors were making her more ill not better. It could be your co-worker is well enough to work especially at first. My mum worked pretty much throughout her cancer. It helped her mental health and outlook, it kept her occupied and stopped her focussing on her illness and brooding and becoming depressed. It gave her a reason to get out of the house and see other people. Without her work she would have felt useless and like an invalid. So don't be too set on stopping your friend from working if she feels able to. It is a good idea to aim at something positive that is not related to the cancer.

I know you mean well and want to help. But to find out information on someone else's health online without them specifically asking can be risky. You could come across all wrong, as if you think you know better about her cancer than she does, or than her doctors do, and the internet can be a dangerous place to look for medical opinions and prognoses, there is a lot of wrong information.

If your friend is wrong, the doctors will put her right based on their knowledge of her medical history and current situation. She would then be pretty devastated about things, so will need you at that point to support her.

I wish you and your co-worker the best.

Thanks for the feedback. She came to work today and has a meeting with her oncologist tomorrow. I have never seen anyone's health decline so quickly. She wasn't able to stay at work all day as she wanted but is admirably determined to continue with her routines. I certainly hope they can get her into a treatment plan soon.
I appreciate the comments. I think I'm just stunned.

I think to ask about somebody prognosis , even if it with good intentions, is morbid, and it is interference on something private , her health.
Nobody knows what is our prognosis and even doctors do not talk about it.
If a person works or not it is between her boss and herself.
One of the reasons I kept my health issues private at work is that is private.

In my experience of knowing someone in a similar situation, cancer at that point was not curable but was manageable by using a combination of radiation, chemotherapy, hormone-blocking medications, and powerful chemo-like medications. What this means is living with the cancer and trying to stop it from advancing any further in the body. Obviously each case is unique, but I know how frustrating it is to find out a diagnosis and really have no idea what the next steps may be.

Your story shows that you care about your co-worker. Offering general support, cards, flowers are gestures of caring. Homemade food is always welcome to most people. All the best. After I was diagnosed with breast cancer I was very appreciative of phone calls, emails and surprise chocolates and gifts of caring.