Size of breast cancer on ultrasonography, cut-surface of resected specimen, and palpation.

In the period from January 1985 to May 1987, 68 patients with palpable breast cancers were studied to compare the size on ultrasonography with the size of the cut-surface of the resected specimen. Both the width (mediolateral size) and height (size in depth) were delineated as smaller on ultrasonography than on the cut-surface of resected specimens. The difference in size between ultrasonography and resected specimen was greater for the width than for the height. These results can explain why breast cancer has a greater ratio of height to width on ultrasonography. The ratio of the width on palpation to that on ultrasonography was also evaluated. These ratios proved to be useful in differentiating breast cancer from benign lesions.