STEREOTAXIC COVE BREAST BIOPSY - VALUE IN PROVIDING TISSUE FOR FLOW CYTOMETRIC ANALYSIS

OBJECTIVE. Stereotaxic core biopsy provides intact samples of breast t issue for accurate histologic analysis. We conducted a study to determ ine if prognostic data could also be successfully derived from such co re samples and how the data correlate with surgical biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Both core and surgical breast biopsies from 135 patients were processed under a uniform flow cytometry protocol. Samples were c oded and then randomly processed at an outside flow cytometer and inte rpreted by an independent pathologist; the code was broken and patient s' results correlated only after all samples were completely analyzed. RESULTS, Core breast biopsy provides intact tissue that can be succes sfully processed by a flow cytometer, even after being embedded in par affin for initial histologic analysis. Larger cores (14 gauge) had few er insufficient samples, as recorded on ploidy histograms. Although pl oidy may reflect the underlying aggressiveness of a lesion and assist in evaluating breast cancer, surgical-pathologic correlation with ster eotaxic biopsy indicated, as has been confirmed in other studies, cons iderable overlap of different ploidy types between benign and malignan t conditions. There was no correlation between mammographic presentati on and ploidy or S-phase fractions. CONCLUSION. Stereotaxic large-core biopsy can enable accurate histologic diagnosis of breast disease and furnish sufficient tissue for flow cytometric measurements of ploidy and S-phase fractions, even at an interval following paraffinization. Such prognostic information aids in planning of adjuvant therapy, allo ws flexibility should surgery fail to provide enough tissue for DNA st udy, and helps radiologists further market stereotaxic biopsy to clini cians.