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It is unusual for a patient with breast cancer to have two or more tumor masses in the same breast. Often a high risk of local cancer recurrence is assumed for these patients, and they are therefore not treated with breast-conserving therapy. An analysis of breast-conserving therapy carried out in this group of patients is presented. There were 586 patients treated conservatively (wide excision of only the tumor, followed by radiotherapy); 61 patients had two or more tumors. After an average follow-up of 71 months, 15 of the 61 patients (25 percent) had developed recurrence of the cancer in the treated breast; patients who had single tumors had an 11 percent incidence of recurrence. The recurrence rate for patients with two tumors was 16 percent, whereas those with three or more had a recurrence rate of 35 percent. If the multiple tumor could be diagnosed by a clinician or by mammography, it was more likely to recur (36 percent) than if it could only be diagnosed at the time of pathological study of the tissue specimen (18 percent). When the excised tissue margins were clearly free of tumor, only in one of 22 patients did the cancer recur. It is concluded that multiple breast cancers are at higher risk for local recurrence, especially if the multiplicity is apparent, of if there are three or more nodules present. If a good result is to be achieved, negative surgical margins are essential. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)