The diagnosis of breast cancer in mammograms by the evaluation of density patterns.

Standard mammograms from 33 patients with surgically proved adenocarcinoma or fibrocystic disease were analyzed with a scanning microdensitometer and computer. A quickly computable number called the linear mass ratio is introduced. This simple ratio discriminated correctly between the 16 adenocarcinomas and 17 fibrocystic lesions of the study, all cases in which diagnosis had required biopsy.