What is the difference between multicentric and multifocal breast carcinoma?
In theory, multifocal is multiple centre of malignancy from one initial disease process and multicentric is a malignancy that arises form multiple sites in the same breast. In practice its mostly not possible to detect the difference on imaging unless there is a time delay between the diagnosis of carcinoma breast at different sites in the same breast.
Is a breast biopsy painful?
Most carcinomas and the patient, tolerate biopsy willl under local anaesthetic. Once or twice a year I see a cancer which is so painful (in spite of liberal use of freezing) that I actually have to stop the procedure even in patients who have high tolerance. The reason for this is unknown to me.
A panoramic ultrasound image of the right breast shows a multifocal carcinoma with three distinct sites.