1
Return

Management of high-risk (B3) breast lesions in symptomatic practice: evidence review and practical recommendations for multidisciplinary care

delete2026-08-10
delete0
delete
OA
AI
E
Emad A. Rakha *
A
Abeer Shaaban
G
Giuseppe Floris
G
Grace Callagy
N
Nisha Sharma
R
Raghavan Vidya
T
Thomas Decker
P
Peter Regitnig
Y
Yazan Masannat
E
Elena Provenzano
R
Rahul Deb
J
Jill R. Dietz
B
Basel Altrabulsi
W
William Teh
M
Muna A. Abuhejleh
Z
Zsuzsanna Varga
P
P. van Diest
G
Gábor Cserni
M
Maria Pia Foschini
C
Carolien H. M. van Deurzen
M
Madhuri Warren
Y
Yasmeen Mir
E
Emmanuelle Charafe‐Jauffret
S
Soha El Sheikh
Z
Zsuzsanna Bagó-Horváth
I
Isabella Castellano
S
Stephen Grobmyer
M
Mieke R. Van Bockstal
P
Puay Hoon Tan
C
Cecily Quinn
S
Sarah Pinder
DOI:10.1007/s00428-026-04672-2delete
deleteOriginal
deleteOriginal request for help
deleteShare
deleteSave
Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Borderline breast lesions (B3 lesions, also termed lesions of uncertain malignant potential or high-risk lesions) represent a heterogeneous group of entities associated with variable risks of malignancy. While the management of screen-detected B3 lesions has become increasingly standardised, no dedicated international recommendations exist for symptomatic B3 lesions, despite them posing a distinct clinical challenge. Symptomatic lesions differ from screen-detected lesions in their mode of presentation, lesion characteristics, biopsy techniques, and diagnostic objectives; consequently, management strategies derived from screening populations may not be directly applicable. This review summarises the current evidence and proposes a pragmatic management framework for B3 lesions encountered in the symptomatic setting (defined as those presenting with breast symptoms outside population-based screening programmes). This is particularly relevant for patients under 50 years of age, where the primary objective is to exclude malignancy at the index site rather than solely to stratify long-term cancer risk. Clinical-radiological-pathological concordance and multidisciplinary assessment are central to management decisions. Lesions presenting as palpable abnormalities (which are typically larger) or those demonstrating radiological-pathological discordance warrant a lower threshold for additional sampling or excision. Conversely, selected concordant lesions without atypia may be managed conservatively following adequate sampling. The long-term cancer risk associated with epithelial atypia should also be considered with subsequent risk-based surveillance implemented where appropriate. Overall, management requires a risk-adapted, multidisciplinary approach integrating pathological, radiological, and clinical factors alongside patient symptoms and quality-of-life considerations. Given the limited evidence, current recommendations rely on expert consensus and a proposed practical framework. They underscore the need for large-scale, high-quality studies with long-term follow-up to establish formal clinical guidelines.
Keywords:
B3 breast lesions
Symptomatic breast lesion management
Radiological-pathological correlation
Multidisciplinary approach
Vacuum-assisted biopsy
Vacuum-assisted excision

Journal

Virchows Archiv cover
Virchows Archiv
IF:
3.1
Papers:
5.4K
Citations:
7.9K

Organization

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham cover
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
Scholars:
120
Papers: 38
Citations: 2.3K
R
reference centers mammography
Scholars:
2
Papers: 1
Citations: 0
R
research department of pathology
Scholars:
2
Papers: 1
Citations: 0
D
Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology
Scholars:
20
Papers: 11
Citations: 0
D
department of pathology
Scholars:
1.2K
Papers: 600
Citations: 0
L
luma medical centre
Scholars:
4
Papers: 5
Citations: 0
P
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute
Scholars:
5
Papers: 5
Citations: 0
D
department of pathology and molecular pathology
Scholars:
21
Papers: 12
Citations: 0
D
department of cellular pathology
Scholars:
24
Papers: 18
Citations: 0
S
St. Vincent's University Hospital
Scholars:
17
Papers: 12
Citations: 2.6K
B
bellaria hospital
Scholars:
31
Papers: 10
Citations: 0
P
pathology department
Scholars:
269
Papers: 151
Citations: 0
S
school of medicine
Scholars:
3.5K
Papers: 1.2K
Citations: 0
S
School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Scholars:
9
Papers: 6
Citations: 0
O
oncoplastic breast surgery department
Scholars:
3
Papers: 1
Citations: 0
S
surgical department breast oncoplastic unit
Scholars:
2
Papers: 1
Citations: 0
R
radiology department
Scholars:
396
Papers: 223
Citations: 1
D
department of medical sciences
Scholars:
154
Papers: 53
Citations: 0
U
university of szeged
Scholars:
907
Papers: 296
Citations: 0
D
Department of Histopathology
Scholars:
36
Papers: 28
Citations: 0
U
university of galway
Scholars:
1.4K
Papers: 702
Citations: 1
D
department of surgery
Scholars:
1.7K
Papers: 516
Citations: 0
Cited Papers

Cited Papers

Citing Papers

Citing Papers