Discrete Breast Lump Measurement—a Study of Clinical, Radiological and Histopathological Methods

Oncoplastic Breast Conservation Surgery is increasingly being employed in the management of Early Breast Cancer. The size of the tumour in relation to that of the breast determines the type of oncoplastic technique that can be employed. The most accurate measurement modality is not described in literature, but the best estimate of tumour size is accepted to be the histopathological measurement, which is not available until after the initial surgery. Preoperative assessment of the tumour size is done using triple assessment. We aim to correlate and compare the measurement of tumour size by Clinical examination using Vernier callipers, Ultrasound and Mammogram with the Histopathological specimen. A total of 140 patients, who reported to a tertiary breast care center in southern India, with breast tumours (benign and malignant) and were planned for surgical excision, were enrolled in the study. The largest diameter of the tumour as obtained via these methods were noted. These were subsequently compared and correlated to the largest diameter as noted on histopathological examination of the excised tumour. The Pearson correlation coefficient was computed, and its statistical significance was tested using the Linear Regression T-test. A p-value