Molecular Testing in Breast Cancer: A Guide for Surgical Pathologists

Biomarker testing, multigene expression assays, and mutation profiling can be employed to direct treatment following the pathologic diagnosis of an invasive breast carcinoma. This article provides a summary for the surgical pathologist, underscoring clinically significant genomic alterations in breast cancer, and an overview of the testing process. Preanalytical obstacles, such as tissue selection and preparation, will also be highlighted to ensure successful transition of tissue to the molecular laboratory and the reporting of high-fidelity results.