A CASE REPORT OF METACHRONOUS BILATERAL BREAST CANCER ARISING FROM FAMILIAL BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer has various risk factors including a hereditary factor. We have experienced a case of metachronous bilateral breast cancer in a 59-year-old women from a cancer family which had breast cancers over 4 generations. Standard radical mastectomy and oophorectomy were performed for her left breast 14 years ago, which was diagnosed as T2aN1aMO in stage II according to General Rules for Cancer of the Breast by Japan Breast Society. In 1986, the patient had another cancer at the C area of the right breast, which was diangosed as T1aN0M0 in stage I. Modified radical mastectomy (Auchincloss method) was performed for her right breast. Histological diagnosis of both the 1st and 2nd cancer was solid-tubular adenocarcinoma. The family history of this patient is very interesting. There could be seen breast cancers in her grandmoter, mother, herself and two daughters. Her mother also had metachronous breast cancer. Added to this her father died of rectal cancer. So it is strongly suspisious that development of her cancer was concerned with the hereditary factor. The patient was so carefully followed up due to the high risk of cancer arising after the first operation that the second breast cancer in the opposite side could be diagnosed in an early stage.