Bilateral breast cancer means a separate primary cancer in each breast. It can be synchronous or metachronous. The most frequent antecedent of cancer in breast it the history of having had cancer in the opposite breast. It is estimated the risk
occurring on contralateral breast cancer as 1% per year after treatment of the initial cancer.
Eleven cases of bilateral breast cancer have been admitted to the Department of General Surgery, National Medical Center during the past 10 years from 1981 till 1991, so we report the analysis of there cases with the consideration of references.
The number of bilateral breast cancer patients during these period was 11, the ratio of bilateral breast cancer was 2.7%(11/408). Synchronous breast cancer was 4 cases(1%) and metachronous breast cancer was 7 cases(1.7%). Among metachronous
cases,
the
intervals between the treatment of the first primary cancer and the detection of the second primary cancer were various so that 2 cases were less than 1 year, 3 cases were from 1 year till 2 years, and 2 cases were from 4 years till 5 years. Five
cases
of recurrence were confirmed and they were all that arised from contralateral breast metachronoushly before 2 years from initial mastectomy. Followup for synchronous breast cancer from 2 to 7 years and over than 4 years metachronous breast cancer
revealed no recurrence till now.
In conclusion, the incidence of bilateral breast cancer in Korean is thought to be similar to that of western and except 2 cases of metachronous cases occurring within 2 years, the prognosis of them would be consistent with than of western. But
it
would
be better for us to study and analyze more cases of bilateral breast cancer from now on.
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