Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Lancet, Surgical Research / 14.10.2015
Primary Tumor Treatment Doesn’t Improve Survival in Metastatic Breast Cancer
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. R. A. Badwe, MS
Director, Tata Memorial Centre
E. Borges Marg, Parel
Mumbai -India
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: The available retrospective clinical data suggested an overall survival benefit for metastatic breast cancer patients treated with surgery, with or without radiation, for the primary breast tumor. These studies were fraught with biases and at the same time, studies showed removal of the primary tumor improved survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Additionally data from animal experiments suggested that surgical removal of the primary tumor could potentially increase metastatic spread.
Our study was thus planned to address the uncertainty on role of surgery of the primary in women presenting with metastatic breast cancer.
The main findings of this study suggest that there is no evidence to suggest that loco-regional treatment of the primary tumor confers an overall survival advantage in patients with de-novo metastatic breast cancer and this procedure should not be routinely done. Additionally, we noted though there was significant local control in the loco regional treatment arm, there was a detriment in distant progression-free survival and no difference in overall survival.
(more…)