Diagnosis, biology and epidemiology of oligometastatic
breast cancer
by Jean-Louis Lacaze, Richard Aziza, Ciprian Chira, Eleonora
De Maio, Françoise Izar, Eva Jouve, Carole Massabeau, Anne Pradines, Gabrielle
Selmes, Mony Ung, Slimane Zerdoud, Florence Dalenc
The Breast: VOLUME 59, P144-156, OCTOBER
01, 2021
Highlights
• The incidence of oligometastatic breast cancer is unknown.
• Only one publication provides information regarding the
biology of these cancers.
• Oligometastatic breast cancer and metastatic site
definitions should be harmonized.
• Prospective observational cohort studies are needed.
Abstract
Does oligometastatic breast cancer (OMBC) deserve a
dedicated treatment? Although some authors recommend multidisciplinary
management of OMBC with a curative intent, there is no evidence proving this
strategy beneficial in the absence of a randomized trial. The existing
literature sheds little light on OMBC. Incidence is unknown; data available are
either obsolete or biased; there is no consensus on the definition of OMBC and
metastatic sites, nor on necessary imaging techniques. However, certain
proposals merit consideration. Knowledge of eventual specific OMBC biological
characteristics is limited to circulating tumor cell (CTC) counts. Given the
data available for other cancers, studies on microRNAs (miRNAs), circulating
tumor DNA (ctDNA) and genomic alterations should be developed Finally, safe and
effective therapies do exist, but results of randomized trials will not be
available for many years. Prospective observational cohort studies need to be
implemented.
