BACKGROUND: In case of distant metastases breast cancer is generally regarded as incurable. Therefore liver surgery is withheld from those patients, even in cases of isolated liver metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over 11 years we performed 35 liver resections in 34 patients with liver metastases of breast cancer. The median age was 47 years. The median interval between the primary operation and the liver resection was 27.3 months. 59% of the patients had a solitary metastasis. RESULTS: Curative (R0) resection was possible in 86%. Operative mortality was 3% (n = 1). Overall 5-year survival was 18.4% (median 27 months). Prognosis was significantly (p < 0.001) better following R0-resection (22%, median 41.5 months) than after R1/2-resection (maximum 20 months, median 5 months). Beside the radicality an unfavorable influence on the prognosis could be demonstrated only for a prior local recurrence of the primary tumor (p < 0.05). Other factors like stage of the primary tumor and number and size of the metastases were without prognostic significance. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with isolated liver metastases of breast cancer may have a long lasting benefit from liver resection. In individual cases cure may be possible.
BACKGROUND: In case of distant metastases breast cancer is generally regarded as incurable. Therefore liver surgery is withheld from those patients, even in cases of isolated liver metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over 11 years we performed 35 liver resections in 34 patients with liver metastases of breast cancer. The median age was 47 years. The median interval between the primary operation and the liver resection was 27.3 months. 59% of the patients had a solitary metastasis. RESULTS: Curative (R0) resection was possible in 86%. Operative mortality was 3% (n = 1). Overall 5-year survival was 18.4% (median 27 months). Prognosis was significantly (p < 0.001) better following R0-resection (22%, median 41.5 months) than after R1/2-resection (maximum 20 months, median 5 months). Beside the radicality an unfavorable influence on the prognosis could be demonstrated only for a prior local recurrence of the primary tumor (p < 0.05). Other factors like stage of the primary tumor and number and size of the metastases were without prognostic significance. CONCLUSIONS:Patients with isolated liver metastases of breast cancer may have a long lasting benefit from liver resection. In individual cases cure may be possible.
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