title: Prognostic factors for recurrent breast cancer patients with an isolated, limited number of lung metastases and implications for pulmonary metastasectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical treatment outcomes of recurrent breast cancer with a limited number of isolated lung metastases, and to evaluate the role of pulmonary metastasectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors consecutively enrolled 140 recurrent breast cancer patients with isolated lung metastasis from 1997 to 2007 in Seoul National University Hospital and retrospectively analyzed 45 patients who had <4 metastatic lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen patients had pulmonary metastasectomy followed by systemic treatment (pulmonary metastasectomy group), and 30 received systemic treatment alone (nonpulmonary metastasectomy group). The 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and 4-year overall survival (OS) was significantly longer in the pulmonary metastasectomy group than in the nonpulmonary metastasectomy group (3-year PFS, 55.0% vs 4.5%, P < .001; 4-year OS, 82.1% vs 31.6%, P = .001). In multivariate analysis, a disease-free interval (DFI) of <24 months (hazard ratio [HR], 4.53; 95% CI, 1.72-11.90), no pulmonary metastasectomy (HR, 9.52; 95% CI, 3.34-27.18) and biologic subtypes such as human epithelial growth factor receptor-2 positive (HR, 3.00; 95% CI, 1.04-8.64) and triple negative (HR, 3.92; 95% CI, 1.32-11.59) were independent prognostic factors for shorter PFS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors' results demonstrated that DFI and biologic subtypes of tumor are firm, independent, prognostic factors for survival, and pulmonary metastasectomy can be a reasonable treatment option in this population. Further prospective studies are warranted to evaluate the role of pulmonary metastasectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ho-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yhim
authors.forename: Sae-Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Do-Youn
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Wonshik
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Seock-Ah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: Tae-You
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Tae
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong-Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: Eui Kyu
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Chie
authors.forename: Sung Whan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: In Ae
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yung-Jue
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Bang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome