Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026
Optimization of Breast Biopsy and Mastectomy Sample Collection Procedures for Biobanking, Personalized Medicine, and Research Applications
Published on: September 2, 2025
The management of radial scars of the breast - does core biopsy help?
P D Britton1, G C Wishart, D Ravichandran
1Cambridge Breast Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Purpose:
To compare the effectiveness of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) with core biopsy (CB) in the pre-operative diagnosis of radial scar (RS) of the breast.
Patients And Methods:
A retrospective analysis was made of all radial scars diagnosed on surgical histology over an 8-year period. Comparison was made between the results of different preoperative needle biopsy techniques and surgical histology findings.
Results:
Forty of 47 patients with a preoperative radiological diagnosis of radial scar were included in this analysis. Thirty-eight patients had impalpable lesions diagnosed on mammography and two presented with a palpable lump. FNAC (n=17) was inadequate in 47% of patients, missed two co-existing carcinomas found in this group, and gave a false positive or suspicious result for malignancy in 4 patients. CB (n=23) suggested a RS in 15 patients, but only diagnosed 4 out of 7 co-existing carcinomas found in this group.
Conclusion:
CB is more accurate than FNAC in the diagnosis of RS. However, these data demonstrate that CB may offer little to assist in the management of patients with RS. In summary, this paper advocates the use of CB in any lesion with a radiological suspicion of carcinoma and diagnostic excision of all lesions thought to be typical of RS on mammography.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:11Assessment of radial pulse
The radial pulse, located at the wrist, is often the preferred site for assessing peripheral pulse because of its accessibility and dependability. The process of determining the radial pulse involves several steps:
01:25Assessment of apical radial pulse
The A-R pulse assessment involves simultaneous evaluation of the apical and radial pulses. When the apical and radial pulse rates vary, this assessment helps identify a pulse deficit.
Pre-Procedural Preparation
01:30Skin Cancer
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): BCC is the most common type of skin cancer, accounting for about 80% of cases. It typically develops in...
01:23Radial System Protection
In a radial system with a fault downstream of the third breaker, ideally, only the third breaker will open, isolating the fault and interrupting the load connected beyond it. The second breaker has a longer delay setting,...