The World Health Organization released the 4th edition of the Classification of Breast Tumors in July 2012. This review summarizes the principal changes that were introduced in the new classification with emphasis on diagnostic and therapeutic implications. The major changes were: (i) the new edition is entirely dedicated to breast tumors; (ii) the epithelial tumors were sorted differently, recognizing nine special types and variants, and eleven rare types of breast tumors apart from invasive ductal carcinoma of no special type. New codes were included for the lobular, medullary, and metaplastic subtypes; (iii) new scores were suggested for the immunohistochemical evaluation of hormone receptor (> 1% positive cells) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) (> 30% highly positive cells surrounding the whole membrane); (iv) a new approach to molecular and genomic classification of breast cancer was presented including predictive and prognostic tests using gene expression profile; (v) the traditional terminology of intraductal proliferative lesions was maintained and the terminology ductal intraepithelial neoplasia was not recommended; (vi) the prognostic importance of distinguishing atypical lobular hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) within the spectrum of lobular neoplasia was acknowledged; (vii) the columnar cell lesions (columnar cell change and columnar cell hyperplasia without atypia) were excluded from the flat epithelial atypia group, whose biological behavior is still unknown. It is expected that the widespread use of the new classification by pathologists and oncologists will benefit patients by improving diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.
Breast; Tumors; WHO; Classification; Terminology
