Abstract: Objective To explore the clinical value of nipple discharge not associated with a lump in the detection of breast cancer in early stage and precancerous lesions. Methods From January,1992 to October,1998.124 patients with nipple discharge in the absence of a lump in the same breast were treated by operation.Among them,47 cases were serous discharge,74 cases were bloody discharge and 3 were purulent.All the patients were performed ductectomy or local excision at first,modificatory radical mastectomy were performed on 8 patients and mastectomy on 1 after the diagnosis of carcinoma having been confirmed. Results 115 cases were benign lesions in this group (account for 92.7%)，in which, intraductal papilloma and cystic hyperplasia 98(79%),papilloma or papillomatosis with active epithelial hyperplasia 14(11.3%)—precancerous lesions.All the nine cases of breast cancer were bloody nipple discharge(7.3%).The incidence of carcinoma in cases of bloody discharge was 12.2%.All of them were T0 carcinoma. Conclusion Nipple discharge not associated with a lump has an important value in the detection of breast cancer in early stage and precancerous lesions.