Relationship between oestrogen-receptor content and histological grade in human primary breast tumours.

A series of 300 patients presenting consecutively with primary operable breast cancer has been studied. A significant correlation was found between oestrogen-receptor (ER) content and histological grade: the better-differentiated tumours rarely lacked receptor. This correlation was significant only in women defined as post-menopausal.

Traffic of lymphocytes in the thoracic duct and renal lymph after allotransplantation and in immunosuppression.

A marked rise is seen in the number of white blood cells in the lymph leaving the sheep kidney after allografting; the number of lymphocytes leaving the kidney rising in direct relation to the degree of damage from acute rejection. No such rise is demonstrable in the number of lymphocytes in the thoracic duct lymph of sheep with rejecting kidney allografts. Indeed, there is an apparent decrease in the number of lymphocytes in the thoracic duct lymph of sheep with rejecting kidney allografts.

Estrogen receptor assay in primary breast cancer and early recurrence of the disease.

Estrogen receptor assays of primary breast tumors have been related to early recurrence of the disease. A significantly longer disease-free interval was found in women whose primary tumor was estrogen receptor positive. Although there was no relationship of receptor content to stage of disease at mastectomy, the greatest difference between recurrence rates was found when the tumor had spread to the lymph nodes, especially to those in the apex of the axilla or in the internal mammary chain.

A comparison of the use of the "Tru-Cut" needle and fine needle aspiration cytology in the pre-operative diagnosis of carcinoma of the breast.

Two methods of obtaining a pre-operative diagnosis of carcinoma of the breast are compared. Tru-Cut needle biopsy was carried out on 368 consecutive patients with palpable breast lumps, and both Tru-Cut biopsy and fine needle aspiration cytology were performed during part of this study on 163 of the patients. A final histological diagnosis was obtained in each patient, at excision biopsy or mastectomy.

Staging breast cancer: role of bone scanning.

Bone scans using technetium-99m phosphate complexes and a rectilinear scanner were carried out on 192 women with primary operable breast cancer four to six weeks after operation. The lymph node status of all these patients was assessed histologically from triple node biopsy specimens. Only nine patients had positive scans, although 94 patients had histological evidence that the tumour had already spread beyond the confines of the breast.

Preoperative diagnosis in carcinoma of the breast.

Two methods of obtaining a preoperative diagnosis of breast lumps have been evaluated by simultaneous use on 131 patients. Tru-Cut needle biopsies gave a reliable diagnosis in 75 per cent of those suffering from primary carcinoma of the breast. No cases of benign disease were wrongly reported as carcinoma by this method.

Cellular reaction in trophoblastic tumours.

The presence of a mononuclear cell reaction to 41 gestational choriocarcinomata, 10 invasive moles and 13 malignant trophoblastic teratomata has been investigated. The intensity of the reaction was graded; there was a significantly better response to therapy and survival rate in those with a "severe" cellular reaction than in those with a "mild" reaction to gestational choriocarcinoma. The pathological and clinical features of invasive moles showed no relationship with the cellular reaction to the tumour.

The diagnosis of trophoblastic tumours from uterine curettings.

The reliability of the diagnosis of choriocarcinoma from uterine curettings is still a matter for debate, and few pathologists see enough material for an objective clinico-pathological study. In the present survey curettings from 54 patients were examined, 38 during follow up of a hydatidiform mole, 12 following a normal pregnancy and four after a spontaneous abortion. Four histological categories were identified: villous, simple trophoblast, trophoblast with appearances suspicious of choriocarcinoma, and trophoblast diagnostic of choriocarcinoma.