Radical surgery for metastatic disease

Original diagnosis Oct 1999, large localised tumor.  Treated with presurgical chemo, mastectomy, radiotherapy and post op chemo.  Aggressive grade III tumour.  Just diagnosed with recurrent tumour originating out of mammary glands, invading sternum and some soft tissue.  Does not appear to involve lung or heart.  All other scans and tests clear.  Aged 44, fit and otherwise in good health.  Options given conventional radiotherapy (advised this will not eliminate local tumour) and chemotherapy.  Further option of radical surgery to remove tumour including removal of most of sternum, some ribs and soft tissues.  All goes well with surgery there is possible benefit of delaying of progress of disease.  Classified as unconventional treatment but understand it is undertaken more in the United States.  Is the benefit worth the risks associated with such surgery?

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear falks:  We would not necessarily agree that this approach is common in the United States.  Most physicians would treat this as metastatic disease and recommend chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. The disease would also be analyzed for hormone receptors and Her2neu receptors to assist in determining treatment options. There is no guarantee that such a radical surgery will eliminate or delay further metastasis.