Diagnostic concordance between core needle biopsy and excision in breast lesions: An audit of the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme histopathological classification in a tertiary care center

A BSTRACT Objectives: Core needle biopsy (CNB) is central to the preoperative evaluation of breast lesions. The UK National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) classification (B1–B5) standardizes histopathological reporting, but its real-world application in Indian practice remains under-evaluated. Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed 139 breast CNBs reported using the NHSBSP classification between December 2020 and January 2024. Fifty-five cases had corresponding surgical excision specimens available for correlation. Concordance between CNB and excision was assessed for diagnostic category, tumor subtype, and grade. Diagnostic performance metrics were calculated using excision histology as the reference standard.