FOLLOW-UP FOR CARCINOMA OF THE BREAST - T HE ROLE OF RADIOGRAPHS OF THE CHEST, SONOGRAPHY OF THE UPPER ABDOMEN AND MAMMOGRAPHY

7865 follow-up examinations were performed on 420 patients who had had surgery for carcinoma of the breast; there were 2755 radiographs of t he chest, 2660 sonographic examinations of the upper abdomen and 2450 contralateral mammograms. The most common findings were metastases see n on the chest radiographs during the 13 - 24 and 25 - 60 months inter vals in 4.7 % of cases. The incidence increased with initially higher tumour stages and in ductal carcinomas. Sonography of the upper abdome n showed 4.3 % of liver involvement, mostly between the second and fif th year; this was independent of tumour stage or the histology of the primary tumour. Positive mammography of the contralateral breast was f ound in 3 % within the first three months after surgery. A contralater al carcinoma was more common in case of lobular primary tumours. There was no direct correlation with the initial tumour stage. We evaluated the routine use of these imaging procedures as part of the follow up of carcinoma of the breast in relation to the additional cost.