Advantages of Detecting Breast Carcinoma by Ultrasonography

Between 1994 and 1997, we detected 542 cases of breast carcinoma at our hospital. Of these, 43 cases (8%) with 60 foci were of the primary bilateral type, 17 (3%) with 34 foci were bilateral and simultaneous/concurrent, and 26 (5%) with 26 foci were bilateral and non-simultaneous/non-concurrent. For these bilateral types of breast carcinoma, we studied the advantages/usefulness of ultrasonography for revealing the clinical picture and providing detection opportunities. In bilateral and non-concurrent types of cancer, secondary cancer occurred gradually over an extended period of 20 years ; the longest interval was 43 years. A focal size of less than 1 cm in diameter was the most frequent, accounting for 23 cancer foci (38%). Nineteen foci (32%) were of the unpalpable type. The stages were classified as Tis 7 foci (12%), Stage I 33 foci (55%), and then early cancer was 58%. Ultrasonography (US) enabled us to detect all of our cases of bilateral breast carcinoma, while mammography (MMG) detected 55 foci (92%). Among 5 foci not detected by MMG, 4 were of the infiltrating cancer. Among breast cancer cases, contralateral incidence is said to be fairly high, and if malignancy is suspected in a unilateral breast, careful examination of the contralateral breast must be done and clinical follow up. Ultrasonography is effective/useful for the detection and diagnosis of breast carcinoma.