Hereditary breast cancer (HBC) is known to comprise about 5% of all breast cancers. HBC is also known to have early age of onset, be usually bilateral, snd have genetic heterogeneity and verticaI transmission by autosomal dominant pattern. Authors experienced three Korean families with hereditary breast cancer, sa hereby report the cases. A 71-year old female patient (proband of family SNU-Bl) visited our clinic with the chief complaint of upper outer quadrant mass in right breast. She had the past medical history of right nephrectomy four years ago due to renal cell carcinoma. On family history patients younger sister died with uterine cancer. Patients daughter had modified radical mastectomy due to breast cancer at the age of 36 years. Other family members had no specific medical history. The second family (SNU-B2) had three breast cancer patients associated with gastrointestinal tract cancer patients; they occurred between sisters. Their father died with advanced gastric cancer at the age of 67 years, and two elder brothers of the sisters had lung cancer and rectal cancer, each. Other family member had no specific medical history. The third family (SNU-B3) involves twenty-five-year old female patient (proband of SNU- B3) who visited our clinic due to the bilateral breast masses. Mammography and subsectuent fine needle aspiration cytology revealed that both breast mass contained malignant cells. Uterine mass and mutiple solid and cystic left ovarian masses were found by pelvic ultrasonography. On family history, Patients mother had had metachronous bilateral breast cancers at the premenopausal age and died of multiple metastases, and patients sister was found ta have breast cancer. She discharged without treatment by her wilL With the progress of molecular biology, genetic meohanisms of HBC will be found. As HBC has different diagnostic and therapeutic implications, and careful history taking can reveal this entity, it may be the surgeonss responsibility to detect HBC.
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