[Whole organ giant section histopathologic studies on breast cancer--I. Multi-centric lesions]

From April 1988 to January 1989, histopathologic studies by whole organ subserial sections was done in 200 mastectomy specimens of female breast carcinoma. Multicentricity was demonstrated in 40 breast, with 68 multicentric lesions, an incidence of 20%. 80% of these 68 foci were clinically occult, measuring less than or equal to 1.0 cm. 72% was histologically noninvasive whereas only 28% invasive. Among the different pathologic types, intraductal carcinoma was more common (66%) than the others. Most (85%) of the multicentric lesions in the breast had one or two foci, rarely more than two. Multicentric lesions are usually distributed in the neighboring one or two quadrants of the primary cancer, seldom throughout three or four quadrants. They were less frequently seen in the same quadrant (22.5%). The multifocal growth was not related to age or menstrual status of the patient.