Evaluation of a Palpable Breast Mass

Abstract

CANCER of the breast is newly diagnosed in about 180,000 women per year in the United States.¹ In the majority of these cases the cancer presents as a palpable mass, usually found by the patient. With intensive public education about breast cancer and the growing acceptance of routine self-examination of the breasts, particularly by young women, an increasing number of women can be expected to seek consultation for the evaluation of breast masses.A study by the Physician Insurers Association of America in 1990 found that failure to diagnose breast cancer was the second most frequent reason for claims brought . . .