Surgical Extirpation of the Primary Tumor in Stage IV Breast Cancer: The Debate Continues

In 2019, approximately 6% of the estimated 268,600 women in the US with newly diagnosed breast cancer had metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis.1 Historically, systemic therapy has been the primary treatment option for patients with metastatic disease. Surgical removal of the primary tumor and/or lymph nodes was not believed to contribute to improved outcomes or survival. However, multiple retrospective studies were then published demonstrating improved survival with removal of the primary tumor.
Source: Journal of the American College of Surgeons - Category: Surgery Authors: Tags: Invited Commentary Source Type: research