Abstract
To provide insight into the significance of findings reported from screening asymptomatic women for breast cancer, we reviewed 19,928 mammographic studies with the accompanying physical examination and correlated these findings with 554 breast biopsies. Of 83 breast biopsies with suspicious findings on both physical examination and mammography, 72 demonstrated breast cancer (87%). Of 155 biopsies for suspicious changes on mammography alone, 50 (32%) demonstrated breast cancer. The accuracy of suspicious mammography was independent of findings limited to physical examination, 34 (17%) had breast cancer; 31 were in 152 biopsies of patients with mammography interpreted as normal (20%) and three were in biopsies of 52 patients (6%) in whom a visualized mass was interpreted as benign. One hundred and twelve breast biopsies were performed for changes interpreted as normal or benign. Six malignancies were discovered (5%). No cancer was found in 31 biopsies for nonpalpable benign mammographic abnormalities. Our results emphasize the importance of discriminating between nonvisualization of a mass and mammographic recognition of either a benign or malignant tumor. The reliability of interpretation is considerably greater for a visualized lesion than a nonvisualized one.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Egan R. L. Mammography, xeroradiography, and thermography. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1975 Jun;18(2):197–209. doi: 10.1097/00003081-197506000-00012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Furnival I. G., Stewart H. J., Weddell J. M., Dovey P., Gravelle I. H., Evans K. T., Forrest A. P. Accuracy of screening methods for the diagnosis of breast disease. Br Med J. 1970 Nov 21;4(5733):461–463. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5733.461. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kalisher L., Schaffer D. L. Xeromammography in early detection of breast cancer. JAMA. 1975 Oct 6;234(1):60–63. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lewis J. D., Milbrath J. R., Shaffer K. A., Das Gupta T. K. Implications of suspicious findings in breast cancer screening. Arch Surg. 1975 Aug;110(8):903–907. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1975.01360140047010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schwartz G. F. A surgical perspective of mammography and thermography. Am Surg. 1974 Jun;40(6):335–339. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Simon N., Lesnick G. J., Lerer W. N., Bachman A. L. Roentgenographic localization of small lesions of the breast by the spot method. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1972 Apr;134(4):572–574. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Strax P., Venet L., Shapiro S. Value of mammography in reduction of mortality from breast cancer in mass screening. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med. 1973 Mar;117(3):686–689. doi: 10.2214/ajr.117.3.686. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Threatt B., Appelman H., Dow R., O'Rourke T. Percutaneous needle localization of clustered mammary microcalcifications prior to biopsy. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med. 1974 Aug;121(4):839–842. doi: 10.2214/ajr.121.4.839. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- WITTEN D. M., THURBER D. L. MAMMOGRAPHY AS A ROUTINE SCREENING EXAMINATION FOR DETECTING BREAST CANCER. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med. 1964 Jul;92:14–20. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wee W. G., Moskowitz M., Chang N. C., Ting Y. C., Pemmeraju S. Evaluation of mammographic calcifications using a computer program. Radiology. 1975 Sep;116(3):717–720. doi: 10.1148/116.3.717. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wolfe J. N. Analysis of 462 breast carcinomas. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med. 1974 Aug;121(4):846–853. doi: 10.2214/ajr.121.4.846. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]