Question about being Stage 4 and Primary Tumor to Remove or Not..

[Lani]

found this:
Local therapy benefits stage IV breast cancer
OB/GYN News, May 15, 2005 by Patrice Wendling
ATLANTA -- Contrary to conventional belief, results of a new study suggest that surgical removal of the primary tumor can benefit women with stage IV breast cancer.

Although overall survival was unchanged at 5 years, there was a better progression-free survival for women who underwent local therapy of the primary tumor when initially presenting with metastatic disease, Roshni S. Rao, M.D., reported at a symposium sponsored by the Society of Surgical Oncology.

"This is important, because any time you can slow down the progression of the disease, it potentially gives other therapies a better chance at working." Dr. Rao told this newspaper. "It's entirely possible that as medical therapy improves, the metastatic progression-free survival seen in these patients will translate into a survival benefit."

The study joins a growing body of evidence that challenges traditional beliefs by suggesting that aggressive local therapy may prolong survival, said Dr. Rao, a breast-surgery fellow at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.