Borderline pathology of a core needle biopsy for breast cancer seems to mean that its in a grey zone between benign diagnosis and a cancer diagnoses.

In an issue of the British Journal of Cancer it states that one-third of breast core needle biopsy (CNB) specimens with borderline pathology prove to be malignant.

Dr. Nehmat Houssami and Dr. Stefano said in an interview with Reuters Health "We want physicians to keep in mind that a CNB diagnosis of a borderline lesion is not 'negative' for cancer, and on the contrary, it is flagged that further management/treatment step is needed."

The article also states that the information to the patient should be balanced. Yes, this could be breast cancer but to reassure a bit ( I don't know if this would actually make me less anxious) but approximately one in three will actually be malignant and the other two will prove to be benign.

Take home message: Read you pathology report, get help understanding your pathology reports and make sure if the results need to be investigated further that you push for it.

And oh yes, I have been in that wonderful position pictured -- wasn't all that bad. That time it came back benign!