Surgery--Stage IV @DX
 

I've been collecting reports about whether or not surgery is helpful for those of us who were stage iv at diagnosis. Medpage Today has this new article: http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/SABCS/30120

The article says there is a prospective study being done. I'm glad.

Re: Surgery--Stage IV @DX
 

Thank you Amy so much for sharing with us all. Surgery vs non surgery at Stage 1V is on my mind all of the time, I am not sure if I have done the right thing by not having surgery. It is a difficult one, isnt it?, I keep hearing conflicting ideas. Hopefully more info will come

Dawn

Re: Surgery--Stage IV @DX
 

I've asked my oncologist to give me an opinion, based on what's known right now. She's an expert on cancer. I'm not.

But here's what I've read: The primary tumor might actually keep metastases at bay. If that's the case, then it's not a good idea to take it out. The tumor in the breast is not what kills; it's the mets. Once you've got metastatic disease, you have a systemic problem.

On the other hand, some researchers say there's no reason to treat the primary tumor any differently than a metastatic tumor. If you can excise it, you should. It reduces the "cancer load" on the body.

Maybe taking out the primary tumor will cause the mets to "bloom." But at that point they are very fast-growing, and are vulnerable to chemo, so you can knock them out. Also, one school of thought says the primary breast tumor suppresses the immune system. Getting rid of it will help the body fight the mets.

One study I read recently says it doesn't matter when the surgery happens. Maybe it's a good idea to work on the mets first, and do surgery later, if at all.

Dawny you and I have very similar situations. I'll keep posting what I find out.

Re: Surgery--Stage IV @DX
 

Thanks Amy, I appreciate that

Dawn