ANALYSIS OF A RADIOLOGIC FOLLOW-UP PROGRA M FOR BREAST-CANCER PATIENTS

In a retrospective analysis a total of 7865 imaging following-up studi es of 420 breast cancer patients were reviewed, who had been treated s urgically between 1987-1992: 2660 of whom with abdominal sonographic e xaminations, 2755 with radiographs of the chest, and 2450 with mammogr ams of the contralateral breast. Abdominal sonography revealed liver m etastases in 4.3 % of the patients, mostly between the second and fift h year after surgery. There was no dependence on initial tumor stage o r histology. The incidence of pulmonary metastases, however, increased with higher tumor stages and in ductal carcinomas. Contralateral mamm ography was found to be positive in 3 % within the first three months after surgery. Contralateral tumors were more frequent if the ipsilate ral one was a lobular carcinoma of any stage.