Surgical treatment of liver metastasis from breast cancer.

We report five patients who underwent laparotomy for liver metastasis from breast cancer without extrahepatic spread, with the intention to perform liver resection. All these patients had been subjected to modified radical mastectomy following systemic chemotherapy and periodical consecutive investigations to detect distant spreading. After laparotomy, patients have been regularly followed. Case 1, right trisegmentectomy in a 53-year-old woman, 36.5 months after the mastectomy. In the 17th postoperative month she continues without relapse. Case 2, hepatic artery ligature in a 41-year-old woman, 15 months after the mastectomy. In the 17th postoperative month she died. Case 3, bisegmentectomy (VI-VII) in a 51-year-old woman, 24 months after the mastectomy. In the 17th postoperative month she died. Case 4, exploratory laparotomy in a 51-year-old woman, 91 months after the mastectomy. In the 31th postoperative month she remains alive. Case 5, segmentectomy (IV) in a 59-year-old woman, 112 months after the mastectomy. In the 33th postoperative month she continues without relapse. As a conclusion, the surgical resection of liver metastasis from breast tumors after chemotherapy must be used in selected cases.