Surgery and radiation to a breast cancer tumor does not extend overall survival (OS) compared with systemic treatment alone in women with stage IV disease, according to data from the ECOG-ACRIN E2108 trial, presented ahead of the 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program.1
“Based on the results of our study, women who present with a new diagnosis of breast cancer already in stage IV should not be offered surgery and radiation for the primary breast tumor with the expectation of a survival benefit,” Seema A. Khan, MD, the Bluhm Family Professor of Cancer Research and professor of surgery (breast surgery) at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a news release.2 “When making these decisions, it is important to focus energy and resources on proven therapies that can prolong life.”
Khan added that these data are similar to findings from a study of 716 women…
