Synchronous and metachronous bilateral breast cancer: A long-term experience.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess the demographic, pathologic and survival characteristics of patients who were diagnosed as having bilateral breast cancer.

Methods: A review was conducted of the records pertaining to patients who presented to our clinic and were diagnosed as having breast cancer. Any second cancer diagnosed within 12 months of initial diagnosis was defined as synchronous bilateral breast cancer. Assessment included treatments administered to the patients and survival rates, as well as their demographic, reproductive and pathologic features.

Results: The total number of patients who were diagnosed as having bilateral breast cancer in the context of the present study was 99. Among the patients with synchronous breast cancer, the median age at the time of initial diagnosis was found as 57 years. The median age of the discovery of first tumor among the patients with metachronous tumor was 52 years and the median age of second tumor detection was 59 years. Family history in metachronous tumor was significantly greater (p=0.041). The median time of metachronous cancer incidence was 96 months. The length of disease-free period among the patients with synchronous tumor was 126.3 months, whereas it was 243.7 months in those with metachronous tumor (p=0.041).

Conclusion: The incidence rate of synchronous breast tumors has been rising thanks to growing awareness and the leading-edge imaging methods. The fact that the second tumor developed after more than 5 years among the patients with metachronous cancer gave rise to the increased rate of survival.