Systemic Therapy With or Without Upfront Surgery in Metastatic Breast Cancer

SUBMIT is a clinical trial that intends to answer the question whether up front breast surgery in patients with primary distant metastatic breast cancer will result in an improvement of the 2-year survival compared to the survival achieved with systemic therapy and delayed local treatment or systemic therapy alone.

Randomization will take place immediately after the diagnosis of primary distant metastatic breast cancer. Patients either randomize for up front surgery of the breast tumor (UFS) followed by systemic therapy or for systemic therapy (ST) potentially followed by delayed local treatment of the breast tumor.

The primary endpoint of this trial is the 2-years survival. Quality of life is one of the most important secondary endpoints.

In the Netherlands approximately one out of eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer; 5% have metastatic disease at presentation. Because metastatic breast cancer is considered to be an incurable disease, it is only treated with a palliative intent. Recent retrospective studies have demonstrated that (complete) resection of the primary tumor significantly improves the outcome of patients with primary metastatic breast cancer. However, other studies showed that the survival benefit in patients who underwent surgery is caused by selection bias.

SUBMIT is a clinical trial that intends to answer the question whether up front breast surgery in patients with primary distant metastatic breast cancer will result in an improvement of the 2-year survival compared to the survival achieved with systemic therapy and delayed local treatment or systemic therapy alone.

Patients to submit in this study are patients with primary distant metastatic breast cancer, with no prior treatment of the breast cancer, who are 18 years or older and fit enough to undergo surgery and systemic therapy. Exclusion criteria are: history of breast cancer, other malignancy within the last 10 years, surgical treatment or radiotherapy of this breast tumor before randomization, irresectable T4 tumor or synchronous bilateral breastcancer.

Randomization will take place immediately after the diagnosis of primary distant metastatic breast cancer. Patients either randomize for up front surgery of the breast tumor (UFS) followed by systemic therapy or for systemic therapy (ST) potentially followed by delayed local treatment of the breast tumor.

The primary endpoint of this trial is the 2-years survival. Quality of life is one of the most important secondary endpoints.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Newly diagnosed primary distant metastatic breast cancer (M1)
* Anticipated survival of at least 6 months
* Histologically proven breast cancer
* Hormonal and HER2Neu status should be known
* T1-T3, resectable T4 status, N0-N3
* Performance status of the patient should allow surgery / systemic therapy
* Co-morbidity of the patient should allow surgery / systemic therapy
* Age \> 18 years
* Written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

* Primary invasive breast cancer in medical history
* Other malignancy within the last 10 years, besides basal cell carcinoma of the skin or early stage cervical cancer
* Surgical treatment / radiotherapy of this breast tumor before randomization
* Irresectable T4 breast tumor
* Synchronous bilateral breast cancer