[Occult cancer of the breast]

Abstract

21 cases of occult breast cancer were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were followed up from 1 to 9 years. Only one of these patients had partial axillary nodal disease and none had recurrence of mammary neoplastic disease. Thus, the prognosis of occult breast cancer is much better than that of clinical breast cancer and we think that all possible efforts must be made it order to detect breast cancer earlier. Mammography seems to be the best form of screening and in our opinion in every suspect disease surgical exploration must be performed.