BILATERAL BREAST-CARCINOMA - MAMMOGRAPHIC AND HISTOLOGIC CORRELATION

PURPOSE: To determine the mammographic, histologic, and clinical featu res of bilateral breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pre-biopsy mamm ograms of 67 patients with bilateral carcinoma were reviewed. Lesions were synchronous in 35 patients and metachronous in 32. Mammographic a ppearance, lesion size and location, and bilateral similarities were e valuated. Axillary nodal status was noted. These characteristics were compared with those of unilateral cancers. RESULTS: Of 58 mammographic ally evident lesion pairs, 31 involved the same quadrant. Of the total 67 lesion pairs, 24 pairs were similar in appearance, and 15 had both mirror image location and a similar appearance. Of 17 lesion pairs co nsidered to represent a single primary carcinoma with metastases to th e contralateral breast, eight had a similar mirror image appearance an d five had mirror image location and a similar mirror image appearance . The second cancer of metachronous pairs was smaller, with less frequ ent axillary nodal involvement. CONCLUSION: The appearance of bilatera l breast cancer does not differ from that of unilateral carcinoma. Bil ateral breast carcinomas frequently demonstrate a similar mammographic appearance and mirror image location.