Triple Test Helps Assess Palpable Breast Masses.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, NEV. -- A triple-test scoring system is an effective means of assessing palpable breast masses, Dr. Richard Bold said during an obstetrics and gynecology conference sponsored by the University of California, Davis.

The scoring system, which produces a combined score for findings on mammography, clinical physical examination, and fine-needle aspiration, is a highly accurate method for determining whether a mass is benign or malignant, said Dr. Bold of the university's division of surgical oncology.

"A woman comes into your office and says: 'I feel something in my breast,'" he said. "You can basically--within a week, the time it takes to get a mammography as well as some kind of tissue diagnosis--give her a triple-test score" that will indicate whether the mass is benign or malignant.

Under the triple-test scoring system, a score from 1 to 3 is assigned to the results of each of the tests: 1 is for presumed benign, 2 for suspicious, 3 for malignant. The individual scores are then totaled, Dr. Bold explained.

A total score of 3 or 4 indicates that at most one of the tests was suspicious, and two were benign. In these cases, the mass is considered benign.

A score of 5, meaning that at least two tests were suspicious or one was malignant, indicates that further evaluation is necessary.

A score of at least 6 indicates cancer. "It doesn't need follow-up. It needs immediate attention for surgical treatment as a cancer," Dr. Bold said.