Pragmatic guide to the macroscopic evaluation of breast specimens

The pathological assessment of a breast surgical specimen starts with macroscopic evaluation, arguably one of the most critical steps, as only a small percentage of the tissue is examined microscopically. To properly evaluate and select tissue sections from breast specimens, it is essential to correlate radiological findings, prior biopsies, procedures and treatment with the gross findings. Owing to its fatty nature, breast tissue requires special attention for proper fixation to ensure appropriate microscopic evaluation and performance of ancillary studies. In addition, knowledge of the information necessary for patient management will ensure that these data are collected during the macroscopic evaluation, and appropriate sections are taken to obtain the information needed from the microscopic evaluation. Herein, we present a review of the macroscopic evaluation of different breast specimen types, including processing requirements, challenges and recommendations.