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Breast

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Essentials of Anatomic Pathology

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Abstract

This chapter reviews the clinical, macroscopic, and microscopic features, as well as the differential diagnosis of the most common breast lesions seen in a routine surgical pathology practice. It begins with non-neoplastic breast lesions including those associated with fibrocystic change, metaplasias, adenosis, and inflammatory lesions. This is followed by a review of benign breast neoplasms. Next are the intraepithelial proliferations, including the full spectrum of ductal intraepithelial neoplasia (DIN) and lobular intraepithelial neoplasia (LIN), as well as variants of ductal carcinoma in situ. As an introduction to the topic of infiltrating carcinomas, we will review the reporting requirements, components of histologic grading, axillary lymph node status, as well as recent developments in the molecular genetics of breast cancer, including the basal-like phenotype. This is followed by a discussion of invasive ductal and lobular carcinomas and their variants. Benign and malignant papillary lesions, biphasic tumors, nipple lesions, myoepithelial lesions, vascular lesions, and lymphoid lesions follow, with a quick review of metastases to the breast and the TNM classification of breast cancer. Applicable ancillary testing modalities including immunohistochemistry are mentioned for each entity, and several summary tables and dozens of photomicrographs are included to facilitate use of this chapter as a quick reference guide to the surgical pathology of the breast.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southwest Washington Medical Center, Vancouver, WA, USA

    Mohiedean Ghofrani MD

  2. Women’s Health Program/Gynecologic and Breast Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Fattaneh A. Tavassoli MD

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  1. Mohiedean Ghofrani MD
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Dept. Pathology, Indiana University, N. University Blvd. 550, Indianapolis, 46202, Indiana, USA

    Liang Cheng

  2. Bostwick Laboratories, N. Parham Rd. 2807, Richmond, 23294, Virgin Islands, USA

    David G. Bostwick

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Ghofrani, M., Tavassoli, F.A. (2011). Breast. In: Cheng, L., Bostwick, D. (eds) Essentials of Anatomic Pathology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6043-6_29

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