Difficult Diagnoses in Breast Pathology

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States. For the pathologist, almost any breast lesion may produce diagnostic difficulty, especially due to frequently small samples (core biopsy specimens) and a variety of mimics and variants seen in specific types of lesions. Additionally, the difficulty of breast lesion diagnosis has risen dramatically in recent years due to the increased emphasis on stratifying patients for appropriate therapy on an individual basis; the wider range of both local and systemic therapeutic options, and the potential for earlier diagnosis through increased mammographic breast screening leading to a higher likelihood of a favorable outcome. "Difficult Diagnoses in Breast Pathology" will have a special focus on the difficult diagnostic problems in breast disease for the surgical pathologist: needle core biopsy interpretation, diagnosis of precursor lesions and early stage disease, recognition of neoplastic mimics and other misleading variants, and other particularly difficult areas including appropriate use of newer immunohistochemical markers, where appropriate. Prognostic questions and early staging are of special importance in the pathologist's collaboration with oncology clinicians and, increasingly, in informing patients and participating in ongoing management assessment. Throughout, the emphasis will be on a visual presentation with high-quality images on the more difficult problems and questions that the pathologist is likely to have in evaluation of breast disease. In this book, each chapter is authored by recognized expert in the area. It features: hundreds of high-quality images; tables and key points in each chapter that summarize the most important findings; and offers coverage based on addressing in detail the real-world diagnostic problems the pathologist will face in daily practice.