| Abstract: |
Bilateral breast cancer is reported in up to 20% of women. A retrospective review of 1330 needle localizations done during a 5-year period revealed 124 done on women with synchronous or metachronous contralateral breast cancer. Malignancy was found in 60 (48%). The risk of finding malignancy was lowest in women with synchronous contralateral cancer ( 8 22 = 36%) or those biopsied 1 year later ( 8 24 = 33%). Patient age at original diagnosis or at the time of contralateral biopsy, histology of the original tumor, and mammographic findings necessitating biopsy did not significantly alter the risk for new breast cancer from the overall incidence of approximately 50%. As compared to our usual rate of discovery of malignancy at needle localization of 29%, women with contralateral breast cancer have a significantly higher incidence of malignancy, except when biopsy is performed within 1-year of discovery of the original breast cancer. © 1993. |
