[The role of preoperative hooked-wire localization of occult lesions for early detection of breast cancer].

OBJECTIVES: Nonpalpable small lesions, usually few millimeters in diameter, consist an important problem in the early diagnostics of breast cancer. DESIGN: An aim of this paper was an evaluation of usefulness of preoperative hooked-wire localization of such lesions for the detection of breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Material consisted of 131 patients aged 37-77 in whom 132 procedures of preoperative hooked-wire localization were performed. The correlation between the mammographic findings and the cytologic or histologic results were then evaluated, with the histologic results being treated as standard. RESULTS: Histologic examination of the localized lesions revealed benign changes in 71.2%, atypical ductal hyperplasia in 4.6% and cancer in 24.2%. Positive predictive value for mammography was 24%. Significant correlation was seen between the suspicion of cancer in mammography and the histologic results. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative localization should be used as a method of choice in radial lesions, suspected clustered microcalcifications and after the positive result from SFAB.