The Chronobra-the `electrocardiogram´ of the breast?

The menstrual rhythms of breast grown and metabolism are measured automatically via surface thermometry to compare rhythm parameters of normal and cancer-associated breasts with a view to identifying signals of precancer. The Chronobra instrumentation is a 16-channel thermometry device which synoptically measures breast, shoulder, and environmental temperatures and logs the result in 4 kbytes in random-access memory. Sampling rates can be varied from every 64 s through intermediate values to a maximum of 68 min giving endurances from 4.5 hours to 12 days, respectively. These data are analyzed on an IBM-compatible computer which is kept in the laboratory. A linear discrimination analysis by multiple regression was found to be the best way to separate the normal-risk and high-risk data. When the data consisted of 16 control breasts and 12 high-risk breasts, there was complete separation of the data sets by day 16; furthermore, when three new cases were entered without designation of risk, they were correctly assigned by the discrimination analysis to the appropriate category. These preliminary data show promise for the introduction of a test to protect those at particular risk of contracting breast cancer