[Breast carcinoma diagnosed from surgical specimens. Retrospective study on three years]

In the wake of three consecutive cases of microscopical examination of resection specimens following breast reduction revealing an adenocarcinoma, we wanted to point out the interest of a complete preoperative senological examination including mammography and postoperative anatomopathological examination. A retrospective study concerning 837 patients over a three-year period was conducted. We found seven patients (0.83%) with malignant breast cancer diagnosed on anatomopathological examination, which is comparable to the incidence found in literature. Of these seven cases there were four ductal adenocarcinomas (0.47%), all of them in situ (DCIS), and three lobular adenocarcinomas (0.36%) of which one invasive (ILA), one in situ (LCIS) and one mixed. The majority was aggressive, multifocal and bilateral. Treatment consisted of mastectomy with or without adjuvant therapy with curative intent in five out of seven cases, and this within two months after a esthetic surgery. In our opinion this shows that breast reduction can help in tracking down breast cancer and underlines the need for systematic and meticulous microscopic examination of resection specimens after breast reduction.