Palliative surgical treatment in patients with breast cancer

Abstract

Last many years breast cancer on a leading position in the structure of oncological pathology among the female population. Patients with metastatic breast cancer, as well as with the presence of tumors with incipient decay or bleeding, are currently considered as patients for complex palliative systemic treatment. The question of the expediency of performing an operation in such a pathology occurs quite often in the daily practice of an oncologist-surgeon. Of course, such life-threatening conditions as decaying breast tumors, bleeding from them, do not raise doubts about the urgency of providing palliative surgical treatment, which is often it is sanitation mastectomy. However, the need for a surgical stage of treatment in the complex palliative therapy of metastatic breast cancer raises many questions. The possibilities of treating metastatic breast cancer have expanded significantly due to the development of drug therapy regimens, up to treating it as a chronic disease. The success of drug breast cancer treatment gives a chance to prolong the life of patients for many years. Thus, in the process of long-term treatment of these patients, various situations arise that require an individual solution. Based on the results of studies, the authors conclude that the decision to remove the primary breast lesion in such patients should be individualized and based on the opinion of the oncologist-surgeon, chemotherapist and radiation therapist, taking into account the potential risk, as well as the subsequent quality of life. In addition, as it turned out, the surgical stage of treatment in such patients not only improves the subsequent quality of life, but also improves oncological indicators. This article discusses the indications and contraindications for performing palliative surgical treatment of patients with breast cancer, based on world studies and our own experience and a clinical study.