The role of core needle biopsy in diagnostic breast pathology

During the last several years core needle biopsies, with or without vacuum assistance, have become the gold standard sampling procedure for diagnosis of palpable and non-palpable mammary lesions. The advantages of core needle biopsy over fine needle aspiration and open surgical biopsies are well-established. In the era of de-escalation of therapy and with the greater use of neoadjuvant treatment, the pathologists are ever more critical in guiding management decisions in breast pathology so there is an imperative for precision of core needle biopsy diagnosis. However, the fragmented nature or the small size of the sample, may cause diagnostic pitfalls and precise radiologic-histopathologic correlation is needed for optimal patient management. This article provides a review on several issues regarding the evaluation of core needle biopsies.