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Background We sought to evaluate whether a woman’s 5-year Gail risk adds to the predictive value of the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) classification for the detection of breast cancer. Methods We performed a retrospective review of the BI-RADS classifications and pathology results for all image-guided needle breast biopsy examinations over a 3-year period at our institution. The 5-year Gail risk was calculated for eligible patients. Chi-square analysis was used to compare rates of malignancy based on Gail and BI-RADS scores. Results A total of 632 image-guided needle biopsy examinations were performed in 609 women. A total of 414 women had suspicious (BI-RADS 4) lesions and underwent 424 biopsy examinations. For this subset, women with a Gail risk of less than 1.7% had 21% malignant results, whereas those with a Gail risk of 1.7% or greater had 42% malignant results (relative risk, 1.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.45–2.66). Conclusions The Gail model can stratify further the risk for breast cancer in women with suspicious breast imaging reports.

Perennial grain crops were examined in pure stands and in various mixtures for their grain yield potential in, and suitability for, low-input systems on marginal land. The investigation was based on field experiments conducted at two sites characterized by marginal environmental conditions in south-west Germany in 1999 and 2000. The experiments included perennial species of rye (Secale cereale x Secale montanum), intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium), lupin (Lupinus polyphyllus) and linseed (Linum perenne). In some stands, white clover (Trifolium repens) was included as an undersown intercrop for improved N supply. It was found that maturation of the species differed by up to almost 6 weeks, and consequently the threshability of most mixed stands was not satisfactory. Nevertheless, mixtures of either of the grasses (rye or wheatgrass) with lupin or undersown clover proved to be more suitable than pure stands in most cases, for measures such as grain yield, weed suppression and stability of grain yield over years. The grain yield harvested in the experiments in 1999 was low, reaching about 2.7 t ha -1 with rye, and decreased for most species in 2000. If improved genotypes were available, perennial grain crops could provide an alternative for arable cropping and set-aside areas under marginal conditions.