Distant metastatic breast cancer as an incurable disease : a tenet with a need for revision

Published reports provide level-III evidence in support of the hypothesis that distant metastatic breast cancer (MBC) might be curable in up to 3% of cases through a multidisciplinary approach including combination chemotherapy regimens in selected patients, usually young, and with limited metastases. Our study evaluates the rate and characteristics of long-term survivors based on a nonselective study cohort.