title: Nipple discharge cytology in mass screening for breast cancer.
abstract: Since 1977 mass screening for breast cancer has been conducted in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan; inspection, palpation and cytologic examination of any nipple discharge are part of the initial screening procedures. Among 149,681 subjects examined, 404 cancer cases and 63 papilloma cases were detected. The nipple discharges from 20,537 women were examined cytologically; of the 61 cancer cases, the smears were positive in 18 cases, suspicious in 7, negative with atypical findings in 12 and negative in 24. Ten of the cancer cases were detected exclusively by the cytologic examination of a nipple discharge. In eight of these ten cancer cases, there was no other initial evidence of the primary tumor. The cytologic diagnosis of discharges without blood from 28 cancer cases was positive or suspicious in 10 cases and negative in 18. Thirty-seven of the papilloma cases were initially detected only by the cytologic examination of a nipple discharge; neither physical examination nor mammography showed any abnormal findings.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Detection Center of Miyagi Cancer Society, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Irumagawa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishioka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Higashiiwai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009558:Nipples / Q000378:metabolism