Diagnosis and treatment of bilateral primary breast cancer: a report of 16 cases / 中华内分泌外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To summarize our experience on diagnosis and treatment of bilateral primary breast cancer (BPBC). Methods Clinicopathologic records, including clinical manifestations, diagnosis and immunohistochemical expressions of 16 patients with BPBC, treated from 2001 to 2009 in Jiangsu Provincial Cancer Hospital, were analyzed retrospectively. Results The 16 patients with BPBC accounted for 0.47% of all patients diagnosed as malignant tumors of breast during the same period in our hospital. All of the 16 patients were women, with the median age of 53 years (ranged 41-69 years). 7 patients were in bilateral synchronous breast cancer (BSBC), with the median age 47 years (ranged 41-54 years), among whom 5 patients got BSBC just before menopause. 9 patients were in bilateral asynchronous breast cancer (BABC), with the median age 58 years (ranged 43-69 years), among whom 1 patient got BABC before menopause. The median interval between the first and second breast carcinoma of BABC was 52 months (ranged 14-196 months). Conclusions Compared with BABC, the occurrence age of the patients with BSBC was smaller. BABC was more common in premenopausal women. The interval time of BABC was irregular. The active follow-up after the occurrence of contralateral breast cancer and endocrine therapy for estrogen receptor-positive patients were recommended.