[Clinical features and managements of breast cancer patients with pulmonary metastasis]

One hundred-thirty-nine patients with advanced breast cancer were treated during five years since 1977 in our Department. Treatments consisted of chemotherapy (ACF and ACFM), hormone therapy (tamoxifen) and their combination (ACFT). Seventy patients had lung metastases at the initiation of these therapies. An overall response rate was 41%, whereas a response rate for metastatic lung lesions was 26% (18/69). Breast cancer is known as a systemic disease, thus other therapies such as pulmonary resection or irradiation had a limited indication to control the lung metastasis. Our result indicates that favorable responses to advanced breast cancer with systemic therapies will improve the prognosis of breast cancer patients with lung metastasis.