Previously diagnosed multiple primary malignancies in patients with breast carcinoma in Western Sweden between 2007 and 2018.

PURPOSE

Multiple primary malignancies (MPMs) caused by breast cancer treatment are well described, but only few studies to date describe which other previous primary malignancies (OPPMs) occur before breast cancer. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of OPPMs in patients with breast cancer between 2007 and 2018 in Western Sweden.

METHODS

Patient selection was performed using both pathology reports at Sahlgrenska University Hospital (Sweden) and the Swedish Cancer Registry. All newly diagnosed breast cancer patients were screened for presence of OPPM.

RESULTS

In total, 8031 breast cancer patients were diagnosed at Sahlgrenska University Hospital between 2007 and 2018. The prevalence of breast cancer patients with OPPMs (n = 414) increased from on average 2.6% to 8.2% during this 12-year period and ranged from 17 to 59 patients annually. The most striking increase in prevalence was found among the gynecological tumors (endometrium and ovarian adenocarcinomas), malignant melanomas and gastrointestinal malignancies. These findings were validated using data of the Swedish Cancer Registry.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall survival rates for cancer patients have improved tremendously during the past 40 years, in part due to individually tailored therapies and screening programs. Our study revealed an increasing trend of OPPMs in breast cancer patients.