Surgical Management of de novo Stage IV Breast Cancer

The natural history of stage IV breast cancer is changing, with diagnosis when the disease burden is lower and better drugs translating into longer survival. Nevertheless, a small but constant fraction of women present with de novo stage IV disease and an intact primary tumor. The management of the primary site in this setting has classically been determined by the presence of symptoms, but this approach has been questioned based on multiple retrospective reviews reported over the past decade that suggested a survival advantage for women whose intact primary tumor is resected.
Source: Seminars in Radiation Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Source Type: research