Liver mets — also called hepatic metastases — occur in up to fifty percent of people living with stage IV breast cancer. Historically, using local therapies for liver metastases was for pain and symptom management. However, newer research indicates that local treatments may improve survival for some people whose breast cancer has spread to the liver.
Follow the links below to learn about local therapies for treating liver mets, including surgery, stereotactic body radiation, Yttrium-90, ablation, and others; current research on the relationship between local treatment and survival; and clinical trials enrolling people with liver mets.
Local Treatment 101
- Living Beyond Breast Cancer: Liver Metastases
- Breastcancer.org: Liver Metastasis: Local Treatments
Journal Articles & Abstracts
- Frontiers in Oncology: Hepatectomy, RFA, and Other Liver Directed Therapies for Treatment of Breast Cancer Liver Metastasis: A Systematic Review
- European Journal of Cancer: Surgical Resection Versus Systemic Therapy for Breast Cancer Liver Metastases: Results of a European Case Matched Comparison
Clinical Trials for People with Liver Mets
- Metastatic Trial Search: Trials that Include People with Liver Mets
- Metastatic Trial Search: Trials Specifically for People with Liver Mets