Surgical Treatment of de novo Metastatic Breast Cancer

Purpose of review De novo metastatic breast cancer (dnMBC) accounts for approximately 6% of all new breast cancers each year. While the survival benefits from removing the primary tumor in patients with MBC remain unclear, many patients still undergo surgery. The purpose of this review is to evaluate recent retrospective and prospective studies that examine the role of surgical resection of primary tumors for patients with dnMBC. Recent Findings Many retrospective analyses have suggested a survival benefit associated with surgery. However, recent prospective randomized clinical trials, both nationally and internationally, have not consistently demonstrated a survival benefit for all patients, although subgroup analyses suggest a possible survival benefit for certain subpopulations. The role of surgery in the treatment of dnMBC is not fully defined. Certain subgroups may benefit from surgery as an option for the local-regional treatment of their cancers. Ongoing prospective clinical trials are evaluating these questions.