ABSTRACT
Multicentric (MC) and multifocal (MF) breast cancers are defined as multiple ipsilateral breast cancers (MIBCs) with incidences ranging from 5% to 60%. MIBCs were considered to be a relative contraindication for breast-conserving surgery. MIBCs can be identified in two distinct settings, either pre-operatively, based on a combined diagnosis of clinical and radiological findings, or post-operatively, when the pathological examination demonstrates several cancer foci, initially thought to be a unifocal tumour. Mammography and ultrasound remain the gold standard diagnostic tests for assessing the extent of both symptomatic and screen-detected breast cancers. The complexity of MF and MC cancers is such that there may be concerns about the proximity of these cancers to the nipple areolar complex, the potential for associated extensive DCIS and consequent margin positivity.
