Onkológia 4/2026

Visceral crisis in metastatic breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women. It is a highly heterogeneous disease regarding age distribution, clinical presentation, prognosis, and treatment outcomes. The disease may be diagnosed at an early stage, or as locally advanced or metastatic, either initially or upon recurrence. Visceral crisis is considered the most clinically critical situation; it is defined as severe dysfunction of vital organs (liver, lungs, CNS, bone marrow), assessed based on symptoms and laboratory findings. It is typically a dramatic situation characterized by rapid clinical deterioration and a marked worsening of laboratory parameters. Visceral crisis requires rapid therapeutic intervention aimed at achieving quick disease control, stabilizing organ function, and alleviating the patient’s clinical symptoms. Nevertheless, the prognosis remains very poor.

Keywords: breast cancer, visceral crisis, organ dysfunction, metastatic disease