ABSTRACT
Triple assessment is an essential process of breast assessment, consisting of clinical examination, radiological assessment and, if required, biopsies performed to obtain tissue samples for histological analysis. The optimal biopsy method depends on the lesion type. Ultrasound lesions and mammographic abnormalities with a correlating ultrasound abnormality can be biopsied under ultrasound visualisation. Non-operative sampling methods fall into three categories: Fine needle aspiration (FNA), core needle biopsy (CNB) or vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB). CNB was introduced in the 1990s and is usually performed by a radiologist. The diagnostic accuracy of FNA and CNB, as determined by specificity and sensitivity, is influenced by the tissue type, palpability and the size of the lesion. Radiologically, lesions such as microcalcifications and distortions have been shown to be more accurately diagnosed using VAB as a first-line biopsy technique.
