Evaluation of 19 Cases of Bilateral Breast Cancer

• Published in: Japanese Journal of National Medical Services Vol. 42; no. 5; pp. 432 - 436
• Main Authors: AKIYAMA, Noriyoshi, MINOURA, Hirohiko, KATO, Yasuyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society of National Medical Services 1988; 一般社団法人 国立医療学会
• Subjects: 両側乳癌; 原発性両側乳癌; 細胞性免疫能; 転移性両側乳癌
• ISSN: 0021-1699; 1884-8729
• DOI: 10.11261/iryo1946.42.432

Long-term survival cases after unilateral mastectomy for breast cancer are increasing as a result of improvement in both diagnosis and treatment. Under those circumstances, bilateral breast cancer (BLBC) is encountered frequently. The knowledge concerning BLBC may be important to follow up the patients who had already undergone unilateral mastectomy. Therefore, we evaluated clinically the risk factors and diagnostic problems of patients who had to have a second mastectomy after their initial mastectomy. Nineteen cases of BLBC which were operated on at Sagamihara National Hospital from 1959 through 1986 were studied. The patients were separated in two groups: 13 cases of primary BLBC (p-BLBC), and 6 of metastatic (m-BLBC). Their age at time of first mastectomy was found to be a factor of high risk; the younger the age of patients with unilateral breast cancer was, the higher the incidence of BLBC was. A family history of cancer and past history of abortion and interrupted pregnancies were of higher frequency in BLBC patients. The cellular immunoactivity of some breast cancer patients was low, but cellular immunoactivity was individually different. Most of the patients with BLBC noticed the second tumor. But, about half of the tumor were not detected by mammography. Thus, we conclude that the occurrence of a second breast cancer after a unilateral mastectomy may be related with some factors of patient's hormonal conditions, heredity and survival over a long period of time. These results were almost in agree with the experiences of other investigators. But, the relationship between an occurrence of a second breast cancer and the patient's immunoactivity remains unclear. Self-examination should be regulary performed over a long period of time by patients undergoing first mastectomy, and a biopsy should be immediately done if a occurrence of second breast cancer is suspected.