Surface Measurements of Radioactive Phosphorus in Breast Tumors as a Possible Diagnostic Method

Abstract

If tumors take up more P32 than the surrounding tissues, it should be possible to detect a difference by measurements on the skin surface. The radioactivity on the skin surface over various types of breast tumors, axillary nodes, and supraclavicular nodes was measured with a Geiger-Muller counter 1-2 days before surgical removal. Over tumors which were proved later to be malignant, the activity was 25% greater than over normal areas. Breast tumors which were shown later to be benign showed less than 25% difference between involved and uninvolved tissue. In breast tumor studies on involved and uninvolved areas, the diagnosis in all but 1 of 25 patients, which was based on preoperative surface measurements, was confirmed by microscopic examination of the tissues after surgery.