[Value of thorough radiologico-cytologic diagnosis before trial excision of the breast].

Prior radiological and cytological diagnostics should precede every biopsy of non-palpable and palpable nodes in the breast which are suspicious of carcinoma. This is illustrated by seven patients with female breast-cancer, cases which can be typically encountered in daily practice. - In three cases, the histopathological examination showed no carcinoma in spite of positive mammography and/or positive cytological diagnosis. Presumably the tumor was missed on biopsy or could not be seen on the histological plates. In two cases with early carcinoma, the tumor could be seen and located by mammography, galactography and cytology. In two cases with advanced cancer, the correct diagnosis could be quickly arrived at without greatly burdening the patients from the clinical cytological findings and from the mammography.