Chicago – The use of Breast biopsies cannot be relied upon in identification of subtle abnormalities when checking out for the difference between healthy tissue and cancer. A study that was carried out by 115 U.S. pathologists and 240 breast biopsy specimens has revealed.
A second opinion is always necessary especially for those women whose results indicate some sort of gray zones of normal and malignant.Biopsy specialists are known to misdiagnose breast tissue on a regular basis hence people whose Diagnosis show“atypia” or “ductal carcinoma in situ”should go out of their way into seeking further opinions.
And what does seeking a second opinion mean? It means looking for an additional pathologist to analyze the microscope slides collected from the first biopsy. Any doctor would help in identifying a pathologist. However, you do not require a second biopsy.
With 1.6 million breast biopsies being performed each year nationwide, 20 per cent more often than not produce cancer results. On the other hand, 10 percent will show atypia which is interpreted to be a cell inside breast ducts and though it is an abnormal cell, it is not cancerous.
With these two scenarios, it is clear that misinterpretation would bring forth a sad state of either surgery or other treatments that may not be necessary at that moment. Else it would also lead to missing out on the administration of the treatment required.
“It is not always that a biopsy will give definite answers”. This was said by a professor at the University Of Washington School Of Medicine in Seattle, Dr. Joann Elmore and who is said to be theoriginatorof this study on the accuracy of breast biopsies which is being done for the first time.
Proper interpretation of biopsies by highly experienced pathologists has been emphasized and seconded by the chief of breast surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, Dr. Elisa Port and though he was not involved in the actual study he indicated that it was of importance.
Leave a Reply