Improvement of breast cancer prognosis by extirpation of non-palpable malignity-suspected lesions. An analysis of 319 operations on outpatients

A retrospective study is described according to which 319 outpatients had b een operated on for suspected carcinoma because of breast lesion, in the co urse of three years in this hospital. In 113 cases (35.4%) the lesion was p alpable, in 206 cases (64.6%) it was not. In the non-palpable cases, mammog raphy was indicated in 98 patients (47.6%) undergoing controls for mastopat hy, in 41 patients (19.9%) undergoing a first mammography in the course of preventive check-ups, and in 33 patients (16.0%) undergoing a check-up afte r operative therapy of breast cancer. prior to operation, 84.0% (n = 173) o f the non-palpable lesions were marked by mammography, 11.2% (n = 23) by so nography, and 4.8% (n = 10) by magnet resonance imaging (MRI). Intraoperati ve specimen mammography was made in every case marked by mammography. In 19 .4% (n = 40) out of the 206 cases of marked though non-palpable focuses a t umour was found. 25% (n = 10) of all marked tumours were diagnosed and trea ted as in-situ stage tumours, 65% (n = 26) were diagnosed and treated as tu mours in the pT1 stage. As regards the nodal stage, 85% (n = 34) of the tum ours were diagnosed and treated as being pNO tumours, and 100% (n = 40) wer e found to be free from any distant metastases. Consequently, for improving prognosis and, at the same time, for reducing the rate of breast amputatio ns as a means of curative therapy of breast cancer, regular screening in de fined risk groups is necessary. Surgical treatment of patients with small a nd non-palpable findings should be reserved for departments with marking an d quick-freezing facilities.