Prognostic significance of liver metastases as first site of generalisation in patients with breast cancer--a retrospective analysis.

Of 672 patients with metastatic breast cancer, 24 evaluable patients with primary liver metastases were analysed with regard to their prognostic variables and survival. In 50% of these patients, liver metastases were found within the first 8.5 months after the diagnosis of breast cancer. The median survival of 10 months (range 0-60+ months) was extremely unfavourable. The median survival of hormone-receptor-positive patients (11 months) was significantly longer than that of patients with hormone-receptor-negative tumours (4 months) (P = 0.025). Patients with elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) (> 50 U/I), or bilirubin levels at diagnosis had a significantly shorter median survival than patients with normal laboratory parameters (P = 0.001, P = 0.047, and P = 0.056, respectively). This retrospective study confirms the short survival time for breast cancer patients with liver metastases as initial site of relapse. Hormone-receptor status and the laboratory parameters LDH, GOT, and bilirubin were identified as important prognostic factors for survival.