title: Synchronous and metachronous breast malignancies: a cross-sectional retrospective study and review of the literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is increasing interest in patients with metachronous (MBC) and synchronous breast cancer (SBC). The objective of this study was to evaluate the occurrence and outcome of MBCs and SBCs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study on women operated in our department for breast cancer between 2002 and 2005 was carried out. Patients were divided into three groups: women with MBC, SBC, and unilateral breast cancer (UBC). Moreover, we performed a meta-analysis of the English literature about multiple breast cancers between 2000 and 2011 taking into consideration their prevalence and overall survival (OS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 584 breast cancer patients: 16 women (3%) presented SBC and 40 MBC (7%, second cancer after 72-month follow-up IQR 40-145). Although the meta-analysis showed significant OS differences between MBC or SBC and UBC, we did not observe any significant OS difference among the three groups of our population. Anyway, we found a significant worse disease-free survival in MBC than UBC and a significant higher prevalence of radical surgery in MBC and SBC than UBC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the low prevalence of MBC and SBC, the presence of a long time risk of MBC confirms the crucial role of ipsi- and contralateral mammographies in the postoperative follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Ambrogio P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Londero
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, AOU "SM della Misericordia," 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, AOU "SM della Misericordia," 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertozzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, AOU "SM della Misericordia," 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Angione
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, AOU "SM della Misericordia," 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, AOU "SM della Misericordia," 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dri
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, AOU "SM della Misericordia," 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Minucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, AOU "SM della Misericordia," 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caponnetto
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, AOU "SM della Misericordia," 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Petri
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D015996:Survival Rate