Diaphanoscopy and diaphanography for breast cancer detection in clinical practice

Transillumination of the female breast has during the past few years been reintroduced as an aid in the diagnosis of breast lesions. A series of 259 women with symptoms from the breast were examined by mammography, clinical examination by two independent surgeons, diaphanoscopy by one of the surgeons, diaphanography, and fine needle aspiration biopsy of material taken from palpable tumours. The results were evaluated in order to ascertain the contribution made by transillumination procedures to the diagnosis of malignancy. Carcinoma of the breast was confirmed in 26 women. The malignancy was correctly suggested in 21 and 23 women, respectively, at clinical examination, in 19 by mammography, in 20 by diaphanoscopy, in 16 by diaphanography and in 20 by aspiration cytology. The number of false positive cases was high, especially with the transillumination procedures. All malignancies detected by diaphanoscopy were also believed to be carcinoma at the clinical examination. The three cancers falsely classified as benign at clinical examination were correctly identified as malignant only by mammography or cytology or both.