CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RATIO OF BREAST TUMOR DIAMETER BY PALPATION TO THAT BY ULTRASONOGRAPHY
Satoru Nishimura, Sadao Kashihara, Satoru Matsusue · The journal of the Japanese Practical Surgeon Society · 1985
Ninety-seven histologically proven benign tumors and 96 breast cancers were studied to determine the relationship between the diameter measured by palpation and that by ultrasonography. A scatter diagram of the two variables provided a correlation coefficient of 0.95 in the benign group and 0.94 in the malignant group. The ratio of the diameter in palpation to that in the ultrasonogram (ratio of P/U) was 2.00±0.79 in breast cancers and 1.14±0.26 in benign tumors (p<0.01). When a ratio value of 1.5 or greater was used to indicate malignancy, the sensitivity was 74% and the specificity was 90%. In conclusion, the ratio of P/U can be considered a useful method to differentiate breast cancer from benign tumor.