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Background and Aims: Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging has become an important complementary imaging technique in patients with breast cancer, providing additional information for preoperative local staging. Magnetic resonance imaging is recommended selectively in lobular breast cancer and in patients with dense breast tissue in the case when mammography and ultrasound fail to fully evaluate the lesion, but the routine use of magnetic resonance imaging in all patients with invasive ductal carcinoma is controversial. The purpose of this randomized study was to investigate the diagnostic value of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and its impact on short-term surgical outcome in newly diagnosed unifocal stage I invasive ductal carcinoma.Material and Methods: A total of 100 patients were randomized to either receive preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging or to be scheduled directly to operation without magnetic resonance imaging on a 1:1 basis. There were 50 patients in both study arms.Results: In 14 patients (28%), breast magnetic resonance imaging detected an additional finding and seven of them were found to be malignant. Six additional cancer foci were found in the ipsilateral breast and one in the contralateral breast. Magnetic resonance imaging findings caused a change in planned surgical management in 10 patients (20%). Mastectomy was performed in six patients (12%) in the magnetic resonance imaging group and in two patients (4%) in the control group (p= 0.140). The breast reoperation rate was 14% in the magnetic resonance imaging group and 24% in the control group (p= 0.202). The mean interval between referral and first surgical procedure was 34 days in the magnetic resonance imaging group and 21 days in the control group (p< 0.001).Conclusion: Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging may be beneficial for some patients with early-stage invasive ductal carcinoma, but its routine use is not recommended without specific indications.

International guidelines do not recommend magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for all breast cancer patients at primary diagnostics. This study aimed to understand which patient or tumor characteristics are associated with the use of MRI. The role of MRI among other preoperative imaging methods in clinically node negative breast cancer was studied.

Many sets of data in the natural sciences have a hierarchical structure that is either inherent in the data or that is imposed on them during collection. These data structures can be defined using mathematical set-theory notation. If data from two or more computer-processable files are accessed simultaneously, the application of operations of set union and intersection leads to emergence of certain criteria which must be adhered to when managing data files using a generalized, database management system. One of the situations in which these principles come into play is illustrated by the merging of two computer-processable files of geotechnical data, the data for both files having been derived from the same source but structured differently.

A comparative bioavailability study was performed using two commercially available types of carbamazepine tablets, by statistical analysis of serum levels and other bioavailability parameters. After single oral dose the extent of absorption from the two preparations was similar, although a statistically significant difference in absorption rates was observed. In a multiple-dose study no significant difference in serum carbamazepine levels was found, so the tablets could be considered as bioequivalent drug products.