Efficacy and safety of eribulin therapy for breast cancer with liver metastasis: a retrospective real-world study

Background Eribulin is a microtubule inhibitor indicated for metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Previous studies have demonstrated its overall survival benefit in patients with MBC, but data on its efficacy in those with liver metastases are lacking. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the efficacy and safety of eribulin in 73 patients with liver metastases from breast cancer treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between 2020 and 2024. Systemic progression-free survival and objective response rate were assessed per RECIST version 1.1, and adverse events were evaluated. Results The median progression-free survival was 3.7 months (95% CI: 2.8–4.6), with a systemic objective response rate of 15.1% (95% CI: 7.8%–25.4%; partial responses only). The highest objective response rate (21.2%) was numerically observed in the HR+/HER2− subtype. The most common adverse events were neutropenia (42.5%), fatigue (37.0%), alopecia (34.2%), and peripheral neuropathy (28.8%), with no treatment-related deaths. Conclusions In this single-center retrospective exploratory analysis, eribulin-based therapy demonstrated preliminary activity in heavily pre-treated breast cancer patients with liver metastases. These hypothesis-generating findings warrant further prospective validation.