Study of surgical resection of sternal metastasis from carcinoma of the breast

Three patients with a sternal metastasis from a carcinoma of the breast were treated with a partial resection of their sternum . Two patients died 13 and 14 months after their sternectomy. The remaining patients, however, has survived without a subsequent metastasis for 7 years. The sternal metastasis in the 7-year survival case was confined to the sternum for 7 months before the metastatic resection. Thus, a sternectomy, followed by chemo-endocrine therapy for several months may be indicated for patients with a solitary sternal metastasis, if there is no evidence of a systemic spread.