Introduction: Liver metastases from breast cancer (BCLM) confer poor survival. Liver resection in BCLM patients has been increasingly employed.
Aim: We undertook a systematic review to evaluate the role of hepatic resection in patients with breast cancer metastatic to the liver.
Materials & methods: In total, 36 studies were overviewed. Patient populations, characteristics, morbidity, mortality and survival were documented.
Results: Median overall survival was 41 months. Major morbidity was rare while 30-day postoperative mortality was near nil.
Conclusion: Liver surgery for BCLM can be performed with low mortality, acceptable morbidity and promising survival benefit in carefully selected patients.
Keywords: breast cancer; chemotherapy; hepatectomy; liver metastases; metastasectomy; resection; surgery; survival.