The diagnostic value of xero-mammography in clinically occult breast carcinoma.

Seventy-four clinically occult breast carcinomas were detected in 7535 patients who were examined clinically and by xeromammography. The criteria by which a diagnosis of clinically occult breast carcinoma was established are described in detail. The most frequent finding of a clinically occult breast carcinoma in the xeromammogram was an irregular mass density 1 cm in diameter or less with microcalcifications. Axillary lymph node metastases were present in 29.7% of the total group of patients, which is much fewer than what might have been expected if the carcinomas had been discovered by palpation during the clinical examination or by the patient herself. This means a better prognosis and a lower death rate from breast carcinoma. Screening xeromammography is encouraged for all women after the age of 40, especially for those who belong to the high-risk group, even though they are quite asymptomatic, as there is hope of detecting cancers before they become palpable.