[Bilateral breast cancer. Incidence and risk factors].
OBJECTIVE
To clarify, thanks to a retrospective study of 24 bilateral breast cancer cases, the frequency, the risk factors and the prognosis of bilateral breast cancers.


METHODS
Between 1984 and 1999, out of 506 patients treated for unilateral non-metastatic breast cancer at Gynecologic and Obstetric ward, at Maternity Souissi of Rabat, 24 cases of bilateral breast cancers were diagnosed. Our results were compared to those of the literature.


RESULTS
The frequency of bilateral breast cancers was 4.7% (24/506). In 87.5% of cases, these were metachronous cancers with a mean interval of 45 months (12-144 months). Patients under 40 at first cancer ran a fivefold superior risk than women more than 40 (P < 0.05). In cases of T3 or T4 tumors, the risk was 10-fold superior to that in smaller ones (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Significantly more first metachronous tumors were invasive adenocarcinoma cancers. Histologic type of first and second tumor was the same in all cases. The prognosis depends at once on the first and second cancer staging and the treatment must be done according to the same rules as in the first cancer.
El Hanchi
Z
Z
Service de gynécologie-obstétrique, maternité universitaire Souissi M 1, CHU Ibn-Sina de Rabat, Tunisia. hanchi_z@hotmail.com
Berrada
R
R
Fadli
A
A
Ferhati
D
D
Brahmi
R
R
Baydada
A
A
Kharbach
A
A
Chaoui
A
A
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors