BMJ  2007;335:347-348 (18 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.39234.386470.BE

Practice

Rational imaging

Investigation of suspected breast cancer

Peter Britton, consultant radiologist, Ruchi Sinnatamby, consultant radiologist

Cambridge Breast Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ

Correspondence to: P Britton peter.britton@addenbrookes.nhs.uk

The local extent of breast cancer is often detected only at surgery, but modern imaging may be able to give us this information preoperatively instead

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The patient

An 81 year old woman was referred to a multidisciplinary breast clinic with a lump in her right breast. Such patients undergo "triple" assessment—clinical examination, imaging, and, if necessary, needle biopsy. On clinical examination she had a mass in the upper outer quadrant, which was suspected to be an underlying carcinoma.

What tests do I order?

It is usual practice for patients over 35 years with discrete breast lumps to undergo mammography and ultrasound. In patients under 35 years, ultrasound is the first line investigation.

Mammography has been evaluated more extensively than any other imaging technique and remains a mainstay of the diagnosis of breast cancer. Reported sensitivity in detecting palpable breast cancer is 80-90%,1 but it is lower in patients with dense breast parenchyma. A normal mammogram can be seen in the presence of a palpable breast cancer, so national guidance recommends that all breast units should provide triple assessment clinics for symptomatic women . . . [Full text of this article]

What other tests could I do?

What happened to the patient?


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to StumbleUpon StumbleUpon   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Breast imaging
Peter D Britton
BMJ 2008 337: a1313. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Britton, P. D (2008). Breast imaging. BMJ 337: a1313-a1313 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Open access investigations
john sharvill
bmj.com, 23 Aug 2007 [Full text]
Re: Open access investigations
Peter Britton, et al.
bmj.com, 1 Sep 2007 [Full text]
Investigation of suspected Breast cancer
NAZAR R DESSOUKI
bmj.com, 2 Sep 2007 [Full text]
Access jobs at BMJ Careers
Whats new online at Student BMJ