MAMMOGRAPHICALLY NEGATIVE BREAST-CANCER AT THE STRATHFIELD-BREAST-CENTER

Background: The current diagnostic modalities used to detect breast ca ncer are mammography, together with clinical examination, ultrasound a nd fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). The accuracy rates for each m odality varies and a combination of the modalities is recommended to d etect cancer early. Some authors have suggested that mammography shoul d be used primarily as a screening tool because of the false negative mammography results that have been reported in the past 10 years. The records of patients at the Strathfield Breast Centre were reviewed to determine the accuracy of the practice and to compare it with the accu racy of other modalities. Methods: The records of 371 breast cancer pa tients treated at the Strathfield Breast Centre in the 6 years from 19 89 to 1994 were reviewed to determine the accuracy of mammography, ult rasound, clinical examination and fine needle aspiration biopsy. Of th e 371 women with histopathologically diagnosed breast cancer, 349 had mammography. Results: The accuracy rate of mammography in the present study was 91% with a false negative rate of 9%. It was found that ther e was no significant delay in the treatment of breast cancer in mammog ram-negative patients, Conclusions: Mammographically negative breast c ancer was found to be more common in younger women, to be similar in s ize to mammogram-positive cancer, to occur in all histological types a nd grades and was usually invasive rather than noninvasive. The rate o f lymph node involvement was similar to the mammogram-positive group.