A literature review of the role of local treatment in metastatic breast cancer patients

Elżbieta Nowicka; Rafał Tarnawski

doi:10.5603/NJO.2014.0025

Vol 64, No 2 (2014)

Review paper

Published online: 2014-04-09

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A literature review of the role of local treatment in metastatic breast cancer patients

Elżbieta Nowicka, Rafał Tarnawski

DOI: 10.5603/NJO.2014.0025

Nowotwory. Journal of Oncology 2014;64(2):180-186.

Vol 64, No 2 (2014)

Review article

Published online: 2014-04-09

Abstract

Epidemiological data indicate that 6% of women are diagnosed with breast cancer with distant metastases at initial presentation. The survival for these patients is poor and the treatment is palliative. Therapy is based on systemic chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and immunotherapy. Local treatment is mainly recommended to prevent or relief symptoms but it is traditionally considered to have no impact on survival. The poor prognosis and palliative idea of therapy do not justify aggressive local treatment. Several studies indicate that local treatment of the primary tumour by both surgery and radiotherapy may improve survival for metastatic breast cancer patients. Hence maybe it is nowtime to reconsider the role of local therapies for this group of patients. The main objective of this review is to highlight current knowledge of local therapy of the primary tumour for breast cancer patients with synchronous distant metastases. We try to assess clinical practice in the local therapy of the primary tumour in metastatic breast cancer patients.