Diagnosis of early breast cancer

Patients treated for early breast cancer have an excellent prognosis. The 20-year survival rate of patients with minimal breast cancer exceeds 90 percent. While both physical examination and mammography should be used in diagnosing breast cancer, mammography is superior in detecting smaller lesions. Most minimal breast cancers are nonpalpable. Preoperative percutaneous localization techniques facilitate excision of nonpalpable lesions. Close monitoring with specimen radiography is often required for positive identification.