Core biopsy as a tool in planning the management of invasive breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Core biopsy is a method of choice for the triple assessment of breast disease as it can reliably distinguish between benign and malignant tumours, between in-situ and invasive cancers and can be useful to assess oestrogen receptor status. This study was carried out to assess the reliability of core biopsy in predicting the grade and type of cancer accurately as obtaining this information can influence initial therapeutic decisions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 105 patients who had invasive breast carcinoma diagnosed by core biopsy in year 2001 and who subsequently underwent surgical management were included. The core biopsy results were compared with final histology with the help of kappa statastics. RESULTS: A moderate level of agreement between the predicted grades and final grades was noted (kappa = 0.585). The agreement was good between predicted and final type of tumour (kappa = 0.639). CONCLUSIONS: Core biopsy as a predictor of grade and type has limited use at present. We suggest that initial clinical decisions should not be based on the results of core biopsy.