[Significance of mammography study in the detection of 2,511 breast cancers 1977 to 1987].

: The relation between the way of cancer detection and tumor stage was studied in 2511 cases of breast cancers patients. 85.0% of those patients discovered cancer by themselves. 12.7% of the carcinomas were detected through the screening program (used in FRG). It was found that there exists a clear dependence between the tumor stage and the kind of diagnosis finding. When the breast carcinoma was detected by the patient herself--in spite of attending regularly the above mentioned screening program--it showed that 16.1% had a small, favourable tumor up to 1.0 cm, in 39.8% a rest-tumor and in 48.1% axillary metastases were found. In cases diagnosed through the screening program the number of small carcinomas amounted to 21.4%, a rest-cancer frequency was 30.5%, and the axilla was afflicted in 25.6%. When the tumor was detected only on account of mammography, 47.7% of the women had a small tumor up to a size of 1.0 cm and 89.7% of the patients had no axillary metastases. The results of the study show that the sensitivity of palpation and inspection is insufficient in the search for breast carcinomas. By including the mammography the efficiency of the screening programs is significantly improved. A routine mammography as a part of the screening program on the one hand makes the diagnosis "no cancer" more reliable, and the earlier detection of breast cancer on the other hand statistically renders the chances of healing significantly more favourable.