Documentation of pathological features in text and proforma reports for breast cancer excision specimens
| Documentation of feature present | Mastectomies | Biopsies | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text (n = 25) | Proforma (n = 25) | p Value | Text (n = 25) | Proforma (n = 25) | p Value | |
| *Not all specimens in the sample included axillary nodes; **only some specimens were orientated to allow specific identification of margins. | ||||||
| DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ; ER, oestrogen receptor; NS, not significant; PR, progesterone receptor. | ||||||
| Specimen weight | n/a | n/a | – | 24 | 25 | NS |
| Histological subtype | 25 | 24 | NS | 25 | 25 | – |
| Tumour grade | 23 | 25 | NS | 25 | 25 | – |
| Invasive tumour size | 22 | 25 | NS | 24 | 25 | NS |
| Total lesion size | 19 | 21 | NS | 21 | 23 | NS |
| Closest margin named** | 22 | 5 | <0.001 | 16/19 | 13/16 | NS |
| Margin measurement | 24 | 24 | – | 24 | 25 | NS |
| Lymphovascular invasion | 24 | 25 | NS | 25 | 24 | NS |
| Total no. of lymph nodes* | 22/22 | 23/23 | – | 14/14 | 15/15 | |
| No. of positive nodes* | 22/22 | 23/23 | – | 14/14 | 15/15 | – |
| ER status | 23 | 25 | NS | 22 | 25 | NS |
| PR status | 22 | 25 | NS | 21 | 24 | NS |
| Quickscore | 22 | 25 | NS | 18 | 25 | <0.01 |
| Presence of calcification | 20 | 25 | <0.025 | 21 | 25 | <0.05 |
| DCIS present? | 20 | 25 | <0.025 | 22 | 25 | NS |
| If DCIS present | (10 cases) | (16 cases) | (14 cases) | (12 cases) | ||
| Extent of DCIS | 4 | 13 | <0.05 | 11 | 10 | NS |
| DCIS grade | 9 | 15 | NS | 10 | 11 | NS |
| DCIS pattern | 6 | 16 | <0.01 | 10 | 11 | NS |