Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37550600›Full record

ArticleIrish journal of medical science2024

Triple assessment breast clinics: The value of clinical core biopsies.

Rahmani Maha, Johnston Alison, Sugrue Michael, Varzgalis Manvydas

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Irish journal of medical science, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Rahmani MahaUniversity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Johnston AlisonDonegal Clinical Research Academy, Letterkenny University Hospital, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland.
Sugrue MichaelDonegal Clinical Research Academy, Letterkenny University Hospital, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland.
Varzgalis ManvydasDepartment of Breast Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland. Manvydas.Varzgalis1@hse.ie.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0288-8827
Letterkenny University Hospital · IEOllscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway · IEUniversity College Dublin · IE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTriple Assessment Breast Clinics are designed for rapid diagnosis of symptomatic patients. When there is no concordance between clinical and radiological assessment, clinicians perform clinical core biopsies. In patients with a clinically suspicious examination (S4, S5) and normal imaging, clinically guided core biopsy should be performed as per NCCP guidelines. However, substantial research does not exist on the diagnostic value or use of clinical core biopsies in non-suspicious palpable (S3) lesions and practices differ in each health system.

aimsThe aim of this research was to assess the diagnostic value of clinical core biopsies in nonsuspicious, probably benign palpable breast lesions (S3) where image guided cores were not indicated (R1/R2).

methodsThe cohort consisted of patients undergoing clinical core biopsies at a Symptomatic Breast Unit from January 2014 to 2019. Data regarding patient demographics, outcome of triple-assessment and incidence of malignancy were obtained from a prospectively maintained database and results were analysed using Minitab 2018.

resultsThree hundred and sixty patients had a clinical core biopsy performed in this period. Clinical examination scores for these patients were S1/S2 (66), S3 (277), S4 (15), and S5 (2). Radiology Scores were R1/R2 (355) and R3(5). Two patients with clinical score S3 (0.6%) were diagnosed with breast cancer due to their clinical cores. Both patients had normal mass imaging. There was no association between uncertain palpable breast lesions (S3), and atypia or malignancy on biopsy results when breast imaging was normal (P = 0.43, χ

conclusionDespite clinical core biopsies being used in triple assessment, there is no certainty in their value except that there is high clinical suspicion. Imaging modalities are constantly improving and are already well established. When the patient is assigned a clinical score of S3 and has normal radiology, a clinical core biopsy is not required in most cases.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsBiopsy, Large-Core NeedleBreastFemaleHumansImage-Guided BiopsyMammographyPhysical ExaminationBreast cancer diagnosisClinical core biopsiesPercutaneous free-hand core biopsyQuality improvementResource managementSymptomatic breast unitsTriple assessment

Identifiers

PMID37550600
PMCPMC10961266
OpenAlexW4385661363

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.