Examination of the Cases Given Primary Tumor Resection after Systemic Therapy for Metastatic Breast Cancer

We examined the records of patients with stage Ⅳ breast cancer who underwent primary tumor resection after systemic therapy. In our department, in 2013, there were 8 such cases. The average local tumor diameter was 59 mm. There was 1 case of metastases to the liver, 2 cases to the lung, 3 cases to the bone, and 1 case to the kidney. Three cases had lymph node metastases. Two cases were treated with hormonal therapy, and 6 cases received chemotherapy as preoperative systemic therapy. All cases underwent Bt plus Ax. Approximately 2 years after the surgery, 5 of the 8 patients were alive. The postoperative local control was good and we were able to continue systemic treatment for the distant metastases in all cases. We think that resection of the primary tumor improved the quality of life of the patients. However, for 1 fatal case, a brain metastasis was detected shortly after surgery. Therefore, we need to consider the patient's condition carefully before we operate.