[Anatomo-pathologic examination of breast cancer: a prerequisite for optimal therapeutic choice]

Breast cancer represents the most frequent cause of cancer deaths in women in Belgium. At the time of diagnosis, the clinician must get the most accurate information on the anatomic features and staging in order to choose the most appropriate therapy. The pathologist play a central role in providing these data. The paper presents a summary of a standardized and reproducible procedure, which is currently used by the pathologists, according to the international recommendations. It consists of several successive steps, from macroscopic examination and dissection of the surgical specimen to histological analysis. The pathologist's protocol contains all the required data and emphasizes the parameters with the most significant prognostic value, such as the histological type and grade and the lymph node status.