APPLICATION OF THE SCARFF-BLOOM-RICHARDSON TUMOR GRADING SYSTEM TO FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATES OF THE BREAST

Assigning a tumor grade to breast cancers provides important prognosti c information. This study evaluated the applicability of the Scarff-Bl oom-Richardson (SBR) breast cancer grading system to aspiration biopsy cytology. Thirty-five consecutive breast cancer fine-needle aspirates and their surgical specimens were reviewed by two pathologists. An SB R grade of 1-3 was assigned by each pathologist to both the fine-needl e aspirate and biopsy specimen, based on the sum of scores given to ea ch of three features: tubular differentiation, nuclear pleomorphism, a nd mitotic index. Both pathologists assigned the same SBR score to 74. 3% of biopsy specimens and 65.7% of fine-needle aspirates. The cytolog ic grade could be used to predict the histologic grade in as many as 5 7.1% of cases. The wide disparities in the cytologic and histologic gr ades in some cases were chiefly due to difficulties in detecting mitos es or tubules in the cytology.