Removal of primary tumor improves survival in metastatic BC

Non-ASPS articles which could be relevant.
Post Reply
Olga
Admin
Posts: 2349
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:46 pm
Location: Vancouver, Canada

Removal of primary tumor improves survival in metastatic BC

Post by Olga »

Sometimes we hear the reports from the ASPS patients who's disease was found at the already advanced stage with the distant metastases that there is no proof that resection of their primary tumor can improve their expected survival - i.e. that their disease is to advanced to treat aggressively and risks do not overweight the benefits. Sometimes they are only offered some supportive care instead of the surgery for their primary tumor and their metastases.
I came across a new article about the metastatic breast cancer that might relevant in a sense that due to ASPS rarity there is no chance we get the same study for ASPS specifically and the answer to this question - resect or not to resect the primary in a setting of the already metastatic disease in ASPS - can only be borrowed from the other more common and widely studied cancers:

Removal of primary tumor improves survival in metastatic breast cancer. Does timing of surgery influence outcomes?
http://www.thebreastonline.com/article/ ... ct?rss=yes

they say:
"only resection of primary tumor and estrogen receptors maintained statistical significance, surgery having a protective effect with an HR 0.52 (95% CI 0.35–0.77). No differences in survival were found between the two sub-groups according to the timing of surgery: "before" vs "after"(p = 0.996).
Conclusions

Resection of primary tumor should be considered not only as a palliative or preventive strategy but also as an approach that possibly contributes to the control of the disease in selected patients."
Olga
Post Reply

Return to “Other Publications”