Indications and Types

Breast biopsy should be performed:

• Mammographic abnormality suggests malignancy
• Palpable mass on physical examination
• Any three demensional mass within the breast

Mammography will miss
approximately 10-15%
of breast cancers.

Mammography flow chart

• Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) - used to distinguish cyst from solid mass and to aid in preliminary diagnosis
• Core needle biopsy (Tru-cut) - used for lesions greater than 2 cm which are located away from the chest wall
• Incisional - used to sample large lesions (2-5 cm or larger)
• Excisional - standard procedure for removal of a mass 2 cm or smaller in size
• Mammotome

A negative needle biopsy does not rule out cancer. Only surgical biopsy can determine whether a lesion is malignant.

Key Points

• Breast biopsy is the only method of arriving at a definitive diagnosis of breast cancer.
• A biopsy should be performed on any three-demensional mass within the breast.
• Some proteins found in breast carcinoma celss function as hormone receptors and are useful clinically as indicators of prognosis and response to therapy.