Bowen's disease of the nipple-a new method of treatment.

Squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen's disease) is a common skin condition but has only rarely been described on the nipple. All reported cases have been treated with wide local excision and observation. A new treatment for Bowen's disease is photodynamic therapy. This has been reported as being able to treat Bowen's disease in other sites effectively with an acceptable local recurrence rate. We describe two patients presenting with itching and scaling of the nipple which were histologically proven Bowen's disease, one of these patients was treated successfully with a combination of photodynamic therapy and cryotherapy: this is the first time such a lesion has been treated in this way.

A randomized trial comparing direct current therapy and bipolar diathermy in the outpatient treatment of third-degree hemorrhoids.

Fifty patients with third-degree hemorrhoids were randomized to receive outpatient treatment with either bipolar diathermy or direct current therapy. Direct current therapy was used to treat 26 patients and bipolar diathermy was used to treat 24 patients. Twenty patients in each group were successfully treated as judged by resolution of symptoms and shrinkage of hemorrhoidal tissue. Both treatments are effective in the outpatient management of large, prolapsing hemorrhoids. Bipolar diathermy is less time consuming and better tolerated.

Breast self-examination for the early detection of breast cancer.

The early results are presented from a programme of education for Breast Self-Examination (BSE) for self-referral; 32,000 women in one health district, between the ages of 40 and 65 years, were invited by letter for education in BSE. Since the study began (1981-85), 153 breast cancers have been diagnosed, and they have been compared with the 153 breast cancers in the same age group presenting in the same health district immediately prior to the start of the study. A significant amelioration of prognostic factors is seen in the study group. However, at this time there is no significant difference in survival between the Study and the Control groups. The benign to cancer biopsy ratio is 1.2:1.

Confirmation of a prognostic index in primary breast cancer.

A prognostic index, previously derived in a group of 387 patients with primary breast cancer, has been recalculated for the same patients with over 5 years further follow-up and shown to be unchanged. The prognostic index has also been applied prospectively to a further group of 320 patients and shown to be similarly effective in identifying patients with either a very good or a very poor prognosis. It has been verified that the index applies to patients with primary breast cancer. Patients have now been divided into 5 prognostic groups, predicting 11% of patients with an almost normal survival and a further 10% with a very poor prognosis. The index is used to stratify patients to study the effects of treatment regimes within groups of similar patients.

The breast pain clinic: a rational approach to classification and treatment of breast pain.

Three hundred and fifty women complaining of breast pain symptoms of sufficient severity to interfere with their normal lifestyle were reviewed in a special breast pain clinic over a 5 year period. Seventy-two patients (21%) had spontaneous resolution of breast pain and they required reassurance only before discharge. Of the remaining 278 patients, accurate classification of breast pain syndromes was achieved in 89%, the commonest syndrome being cyclical breast pain which accounted for 54% of the women followed up. The remaining womens' breast pain was classified as trigger zone (14%), continuous (8%), Tietze's disease (5%), spinal root (4%), duct ectasia (4%) and psychological depression (2%). In the remaining 25 patients (9%) the breast pain could not be classified. The experience from this clinic is that a majority of women complaining of severe breast pain symptoms can be accurately classified and appropriate therapy instituted.

Preliminary results of the Nottingham breast self-examination education programme.

Between June 1979 and December 1984, 49,573 women (study population) between the ages of 45 and 64 years and living in one health district were invited to attend breast self-examination sessions as part of the DHSS 'UK Trial of Early Detection of Breast Cancer'. Of the women invited 50.2 per cent attended for education. A total of 319 breast cancers were diagnosed in the study population during this period. The tumour characteristics, patient prognostic groups and survival have been compared with a control population consisting of the 319 consecutive breast cancers diagnosed immediately before the start of the DHSS trial, in women of the same age group and living in the same health district. There has been a significant reduction in the size at presentation of operable tumours (P less than 0.01) and there has been a small (3.4 per cent) reduction in lymph node involvement, but this is not significant. The rates of presentation of both in situ and advanced carcinoma have not significantly changed following the introduction of a breast self-examination education programme. At this stage no overall survival difference has been identified between the two groups but the median follow up of the study population is limited (25 months).

A new technique for excision of recurrent anastomotic strictures of the rectum.

A previously unreported method of resection of anastomotic strictures of the rectum using a circular stapling device is described. The use of the technique in two cases of recurrent anastomotic stricture is reported. Neither patient has had further stricture formation during the follow-up period.

The prediction of local or regional recurrence after simple mastectomy for operable breast cancer.

Both the histological grade of the primary tumour and lymph node status have been found to contribute significantly towards the development of a local or regional recurrence after simple mastectomy for operable breast cancer. No other factor, from a series of seven studied, has been found to be of independent significance. A small group of patients with grade III tumours, lymph node positive at mastectomy, has been identified in whom more than 40 per cent of all symptomatic local or regional recurrences occurred. The chance a patient in this group has of developing a local or regional recurrence requiring treatment within 4 years approaches 50 per cent.

Patterns of flap recurrence following mastectomy.

Flap recurrence after mastectomy is divisible into three distinct entities: spot recurrence, multiple spot recurrence and field change. Spot recurrence and multiple spot recurrence are usually controlled by local measures and are not associated with any particular characteristics of the primary tumour. The field change type of flap recurrence is difficult to control and is associated with aggressive primary tumours (grade III, node positive, oestrogen receptor negative) and a very poor prognosis. The appearance of field change type of flap recurrence is an indication for systemic therapy.

Mammographic parenchymal patterns: value as a predictor of hormone dependency and survival in breast cancer.

The relation between the parenchymal pattern of the breasts as demonstrated on a mammogram and the estrogen-receptor status of the primary tumor in 337 patients with operable invasive breast cancer has been studied. These factors have also been correlated with the response to endocrine therapy in 92 patients who subsequently developed secondary disease. It has been shown that patients with a DY pattern are more likely to develop tumors that are estrogen-receptor (ER) positive (p = 0.01). Patients with secondary disease who have a DY pattern are more likely to respond to endocrine therapy (p = 0.001). The DY pattern has been shown to be at least as good an indicator of the probability of response to endocrine therapy as the estrogen-receptor status, and a combination of the two factors better than either taken singly. In a series of 141 postmenopausal women, the DY pattern, as determined at the time of mastectomy, was associated with significantly improved survival (p = 0.001). Mammographic parenchymal pattern could form the basis for selecting patients for endocrine therapy where no estrogen-receptor assay is available.

Immunocytochemical staining of breast carcinoma with the monoclonal antibody NCRC 11: a new prognostic indicator.

The staining of breast cancer with a new monoclonal antibody, NCRC 11, was studied in a series of 126 women with primary breast carcinoma. Tumour samples embedded in paraffin were tested, and the minimum duration of follow up was five years or to death. Altogether 119 tumours stained positively. There was a strong relation between the intensity of staining, divided on a four point scale, and patient survival. Patients whose tumours exhibited intense staining had an improved survival compared with those with less intensely staining tumours (p less than 0.0001). Staining related weakly to histological grade but not significantly to oestrogen receptor state or the pathological stage of lymph node disease. Mathematical analysis showed the relation to survival to be independent of the other known prognostic factors. Inclusion of intensity of staining with other factors in a prognostic index might permit a more accurate estimation of prognosis in patients with breast cancer.

Subcutaneous mastectomy for primary operable breast cancer.

Subcutaneous mastectomy has been performed on 98 patients with primary breast cancer. Eighty-four have undergone breast reconstruction using a silicone prosthesis. The overall complication rate has been low. The rates of local recurrence and survival are similar to those in patients undergoing simple mastectomy.

The relationship of background mammographic pattern to hormone dependency in breast cancer.

We have studied the relationship between mammographic parenchymal pattern of the breast and oestrogen receptor (ER) status in the primary tumour in 337 patients with operable invasive breast cancer, and the response to endocrine therapy in patients subsequently developing secondary disease. Patients with dysplastic (DY) parenchymal pattern are significantly more likely to develop tumours which are ER-positive. In 92 patients who subsequently developed secondary disease, those whose primary tumour arose in a DY pattern breast were significantly more likely to respond to endocrine therapy irrespective of their ER status.

Repeated aspiration of breast cysts--a safe procedure.

We have made a retrospective study of 197 patients who underwent 367 breast cyst aspirations and in whom the fluid obtained was sent for cytological examination between January 1974 and August 1976. Four specimens were reported as showing malignant cells in the aspirate. All of these were excised and 3 were confirmed to be malignant. A further 8 showed bizarre or atypical appearances, of which four were excised and 1 was malignant. The other 4 were subjected to repeat aspiration, at which time typical benign appearances were reported and no further action taken. No tumour developed in the follow-up period of at least 2 years. Of the patients whose initial cytology was benign, 51 were subjected to repeated aspiration of clinically recurrent cysts, 28 on 3 or more occasions. Ten patients underwent excision biopsy of histologically benign lesions. None of these 51 patients developed a malignant tumour at the site of the cyst in the 2-year follow-up period.