Synchronous Breast Cancer and Gallbladder Diseases-A Chromosomal Analysis: A Pilot Study at a Tertiary Care Centre

Out of a total of 50 study-eligible patients, 15 patients were found to have synchronous breast cancer and gallbladder diseases. Fourteen such patients had breast cancer and cholelithiasis while 1 patient had breast cancer with gallbladder cancer. Amongst these 15 patients, 7 patients tested positive for chromosomal aberrations on karyotyping. Aberrations in these patients were seen on chromosomes 13 and 17 with 2 patients having deletion 13q, 2 having deletion 17q, and 2 having deletions on 17p while one patient had multiple deletions on chromosomes 13q and 17p. The patient with multiple aberrations on 13q and 17p had a grade III infiltrating ductal carcinoma (NOS) of the breast with adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder. On the basis of our study and its analysis, we conclude that synchronous breast and gallbladder lesions are common amongst females and the occurrence of one should warn the clinician to search for the other. Also, chromosomal aberrations are common amongst patients with synchronous diseases and since these abnormalities are in the germ line cells, genetic counselling should be offered to the first- and second-degree female relatives.