Nuclear magnetic resonance images of the knee were obtained from three normal volunteers and from two patients. The pathology included an osteosarcoma of the distal femur and a fracture of the tibia. Steady State Free Precession (SSFP) techniques were used with a 0.15 Tesla resistive type magnet. Normal anatomy was well displayed and the size of the osteosarcoma was accurately predicted. Using SSFP techniques, the blood in the knee joint was not visualised, but the underlying tibial fracture was clearly outlined.

Fifty-seven patients with carcinoma of the breast were assessed with serial mammograms following local excision and radiotherapy. The mammographic appearances due to radiotherapy were categorised and the changes in these with the passage of time have been studied. Residual tumour was identified on the basis of remaining malignant-type microcalcification. Local recurrence was identified on mammography. The most useful signs were the development of a mass lesion and the increase or development of malignant-type microcalcification. Differentiation of radiotherapy changes from recurrence of carcinoma can be made when a reaction that is normally due to radiotherapy occurs to an inappropriate degree, or with inappropriate timing.

In the UK Trial for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer in Nottingham, 119 women were identified as having fibrocystic change with epithelial hyperplasia or in situ carcinoma. Their mammograms were classified according to Wolfe's criteria and the corresponding histology for each patient was classified for degrees of epithelial hyperplasia, atypia and in situ neoplasia using Page's criteria. A control population of patients presenting for breast screening was used to represent the general population. No correlation was found between the four mammographic Wolfe patterns, N1, P1, P2 and DY and histological evidence of epithelial hyperplasia, atypia or in situ carcinoma. A further study was carried out to determine histological features of Wolfe pattern, using radiological examination of resected breast tissue. The variation in Wolfe pattern was related to the distribution of fibrous and adipose tissue in the breast interlobular stroma and appeared to have no relationship to epithelial parenchymal content. This information does not support the hypothesis that radiographic densities of P2 and DY patterns correspond to high risk epithelial proliferation.

No abstract

This report presents the results of a study into the effect of breast self-examination (BSE) in a large defined population within the City of Nottingham since 1979. We have examined the effect of breast self-examination in a group of patients invited to attend for education in BSE compared with a group of historical controls. No overall survival advantage has been demonstrated for the study group but within the latter group patients who had attended for instruction in BSE had a significantly better actuarial survival at 13 years than those who did not (P less than 0.001). Patients in the study group presented with significantly smaller tumours which were more likely to be of better histological grade and lymph node stage. A case-control study has demonstrated the value of attendance for BSE particularly in post-menopausal women. Although BSE is not as sensitive as mammographic screening, patients who practise it present with more favourable tumour characteristics and its value in post-menopausal women supports its use as an adjunct to mammographic screening.