[Recent improvement of mammographic diagnosis]

The improvement of mammographic diagnosis consists of 3 factors as follows; (1) improvement of mammographic apparatus, (2) technical advancement on photographing and reading of mammograms, and (3) correlation between mammographic findings and pathology. Improvement of apparatus was achieved by molybdenum anode and faster single screen combined with a high-speed single-emulsion film combination system. These system provide the dose reduction as only one day reduction of the average future time if anyone take the mammographic screening of breast cancer once a year over 30 years old. These alterations of apparatus produced the mammograms darkers, and the intensity of illumination of the view system brighter. These some improvements of the mammography have made the mammograms to be very high quality. As natural consequence mammographic diagnosis has some new roles. Screening of the breast cancer is the most important one. The diagnosis the lesion cancer or not is very important, too. If the lesion was found only with mammography, the biopsy under mammographic guidance is necessary. And the diagnosis of the extension of the cancer lesion is very important for surgical treatment. If the lesion has fine calcifications, mammography can diagnose the extent very objectively.