Locoregional Therapy for the Primary Tumour in Women with a De Novo Diagnosis of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Miller K., Horgan K., Dodwell D.
Purpose of Review: The role of locoregional treatment (LRT) in the setting of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is widely debated due to conflicting results on the impact on outcomes. This review provides a brief overview and evaluation of current evidence. Recent Findings: The majority of retrospective studies suggest LRT provides some survival benefit, but it is not known exactly which subgroup of patients would benefit the most. The significant concerns about inherent biases associated with these studies make interpretation of results challenging. Recent data from prospective clinical trials are conflicting and suggest that adding LRT to treatment regimens makes no difference to health-related quality of life. Summary: Based on the limited high-quality evidence, there is uncertainty that LRT improves outcomes in patients with MBC, and it should not become standard clinical practice. Further prospective research focused on whether subsets of patients benefit from LRT is required.