Mammography: a surgeon's experience.

Most reports advocating mammography have been written by radiologists rather than by clinicians who are frequently confronted by women with breast complaints. The value of mammography in managing patients with breast problems was studied by reviewing its role in 1026 breast consultations; there were 129 patients with cancer. Mammography was performed in 95 patients. The procedure hastened the diagnosis of one comedocarcinoma, and in another patient was suspicious 3 years before she presented with a locally advanced lesion. It missed six cancers. In seven patients it recognized clinically obvious cancers, though in one of these it had given negative results 10 months before the patient presented with a lesion 15 cm in diameter. It also falsely suggested the possibility of cancer in 28 women. In the other 52 patients the clinical diagnosis of a benign condition was usually fairly evident. The morbidity caused by mammography does not seem to have been widely appreciated, no doubt because of the hope that clinically unrecognized cancers would be found by it. Most breast problems can be diagnosed without mammography.     

Changes in the ionization equilibrium of erythrocyte suspension under heating]

The effects of ionic strength, urea, calcium and fluorine ions, ouabain and cholinesterase inhibitors on the changes in the ionization equilibrium of an erythrocyte suspension under heating were studied. Proton release by erythrocytes was compared to a release of potassium ions and hemoglobin from the cells. The proton release under heating is mainly determined by the physico--chemical properties of superficial structures of erythrocytes and does not depend on the activity of cholinesterase, ATPase and glycolytic processes.