Percutaneous core biopsy of palpable breast lesions: accuracy of frozen section histopathological exam in the diagnosis of breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE

to evaluate the accuracy of frozen section histopathology from fragments of tissue obtained by percutaneous core needle biopsy of palpable tumors in the diagnosis of breast cancer.

METHODS

a cohort study was performed on 57 patients with palpable tumors and suspected breast cancer undergoing percutaneous thick needle core biopsy. The fragments were analyzed by the same pathologist.

RESULTS

frozen section diagnosed 16 benign cases (28.6%) and 40 malignant (71.4%), whereas paraffin showed that 15 were benign (26.8%) and 41 malignant (73.2%). Histopathological examinations were concordant in 55 cases and there was one false-negative (6.2%). Statistics rates were: negative predictive value of 93.8%, positive predictive value of 100%, no false-positive (0%), one false negative (6.2%), specificity of 100%, sensitivity of 97 6%; observed agreement = 98.2%; expected agreement = 59.9%, Kappa = 0.955 [ 95% CI = 0.925-0.974, p < 0.01 ].

CONCLUSIONS

frozen section histopathological findings showed excellent correlation with the findings by the technique in paraffin in the fragments of palpable breast tumors obtained by thick needle percutaneous core biopsy (98.2% accuracy). Therefore, in these patients, it was possible to anticipate the diagnosis, staging and the breast cancer treatment planning.