Synchronous Bilateral Breast Cancer (SBBC): Report of a Case with Review of Literature

Abstract

The incidence of synchronous bilateral invasive breast cancer (SBBC) is reported to range from 0.8%-3.0%. Lower disease-free survival and high rates of distant metastasis is a recognized feature of bilateral synchronous tumors, which therefore have a worse overall survival compared to unilateral tumors. Early detection of the contralateral tumor is of utmost importance emphasizing the significance of breast self-examination. Here we report a case of SBBC with invasive ductal carcinoma on both sides in a 50-year-old lady. The pathology report on both sides was infiltrating ductal carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in situ, nuclear grade of ІІ/ІІІ and histologic grade of II/III. Perineural invasion was present on both sides but vascular invasion only on the right side. In conclusion, SBBC is rare, but is important because it may have worse prognosis, different hormone receptor status and treatment modality. Early detection with breast self-examination is highly emphasized.

Quantitative mRNA Expression Assays and Synchronous Breast Cancers: A Case Report

“…Recently, the NCCN has endorsed the 21-gene RT-PCR assay or Oncotype Dx testing for most endocrine receptor positive breast cancers to determine the likelihood of adjuvant chemotherapy followed by adjuvant endocrine therapy compared to adjuvant endocrine therapy alone [1]. However, the NCCN guideline does not address how to apply the assay to estimate of recurrence risk from one or the other or both cancers for that small percentage of patients with synchronous breast cancers (1–3%), although studies have shown that the risk of recurrence from one, the other or both, is higher than the risk from either of individual cancer [2, 3, 4].…”