Progress on surgical resection of the primary diagnostic stageⅣbreast cancer / 中国肿瘤临床

Systemic therapy is usually the main treatment for patients with stageⅣbreast cancer at diagnosis. Surgical resection of the primary tumor is typically conducted for palliative reasons, and whether such treatment can benefit patients' survival outcome re-mains unclear. In our clinical practice, proper timing and indications for surgery of the primary tumor, as well as an appropriate surgi-cal technique, may increase the success of local treatment for stageⅣbreast cancer. This article reviews available literature and dis-cusses the role of surgical resection in the treatment of stageⅣbreast cancer at initial presentation.