MAMMOGRAPHY AND ULTRASOUND IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF CONTRALATERAL BREAST-CANCER

Forty-nine (5%) of 956 women referred for follow-up imaging after brea st cancer treatment had a malignancy in both breasts. The mammograms a nd ultrasonograms or US reports, and histologic slides or pathologic r eports of 31 of these patients were reviewed. Mammography was more sen sitive than clinical examination or US in detecting contralateral brea st cancer, the sensitivity of mammography being 81%. Thirty-nine perce nt of the contralateral cancers were nonpalpable, and all were first d etected at mammography. No cancers were depicted by US alone. US provi ded complementary information about palpable masses in 50% of the case s in which the mammographic finding was difficult to interpret. The ma mmographic appearance and the difficulties in detecting a contralatera l cancer were similar to those known to be characteristic for first pr imaries. Distinguishing a new primary from a metastasis from the first breast cancer was not always possible by means of mammography or US.