Background: To determine whether the inferior outcome noted with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) reflects a higher risk population among patients with breast cancer liver metastases.
Methods: A total of 123 patients with breast cancer liver metastases diagnosed at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital were included in this study. Breast cancer subtype was assigned using immunohistochemistry or fluorescence in situ hybridization: hormone receptor (HR) positive (+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative (-), HR+/HER2+, HR-/HER2+ and triple-negative subtype. Clinical features and survival were evaluated in different subtypes.
Results: The median age at breast cancer diagnosis was 47 years (range, 23-67 years). Breast cancer subtype was confirmed in all patients (39.8% with HR+/HER2-, 24.4% with HR+/HER2+, 15.3% with HR-/HER2+ and 20.3% with TNBC). The median overall survival after liver metastases was 29 months (range, 4-89 months), and the overall 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rate was 68.3, 48.0 and 34.1%, respectively. Survival was found to be impacted by breast cancer subtype (P = 0.001), and was shortest for patients with TNBC. Time to liver metastases (TTLM) less than 24 months and liver metastasis lesions ≥3 were found to be important predictors of poor survival after liver metastases (P = 0.009 and 0.001, respectively).
Conclusions: The results indicate that clinical breast cancer subtype remains an independent prognostic predictor among patients with breast cancer liver metastases. Liver metastases arising from TNBC confers the worst prognosis, and novel agents capable of controlling intrahepatic and extrahepatic TNBC are needed.