Factors influencing survival in bilateral breast cancer.

One hundred and four patients with bilateral breast cancers, detected clinically, were studied. Patients with synchronous lesions experienced the worst survival. Lymph node metastases in the second mastectomy had obvious adverse effect on survival. The development of scirrhous carcinoma in the second breast did not alter survival. A maximum of 21 patients might have been adversely affected by the development of a second cancer because of lymph node metastases in the second breast only. Survivorship data suggest the adequacy of treatment of contralateral breast cancers when they become detectable by clinical means alone.