● About 25% of external biopsies required repeat testing, and 62.5% of these were malignant, revealing a high rate of missed breast cancers in fragmented diagnostic pathways.
● Complete and accurate triple assessment takes just 125 minutes at an integrated one-stop centre, versus multiple centres and prolonged timelines in fragmented pathways.
Chennai, 25 December 2025: A comprehensive study by the Chennai Breast Centre, a renowned one-stop breast cancer facility, revealed that a significant proportion of breast cancer diagnoses from external sources are missed or misdiagnosed when tests are conducted across multiple centres in a fragmented manner. Among 12,156 patients, the audit found that 25% of external biopsies required repeat testing, and of these, 62.5% were confirmed malignant.
Done in 2024 and presented earlier this month at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, the world’s largest and most prestigious breast cancer conference, the study highlighted serious gaps in diagnosis, inaccurate readings, and discordance in multi-centre evaluations. The results demonstrate that the one-stop model is the most effective approach in a low- and middle-income country like India, where integrated centres can complete triple assessment – including clinical examination, imaging, and biopsy – in a median of 125 minutes. Biopsy reports are available within 72 hours, enabling definitive treatment planning within just 2–3 visits.
The study was led by Dr. Selvi Radhakrishna, Senior Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon and Dr. Debashri Shankarraman, Consultant Breast Surgeon at Chennai Breast Centre.
In her comments, Dr. Selvi Radhakrishna said: “In India awareness about breast cancer is limited and many women hesitate or do not prioritise their health, late diagnosis is common. Even when women do come forward, the current fragmented diagnostic pathway is not effective. Typically, a woman notices a lump, visits a clinic for a check-up, is sent elsewhere for imaging, and then to another lab for a biopsy. Each step requires separate appointments, long waits, travel, and paperwork, which delays diagnosis, increases the risk of errors, and can result in patients dropping out before completing all necessary tests.”
Citing the study data on diagnostic errors, she highlighted that among 12,156 patients aged 12 to 93 years, over 50% of those with prior imaging required repeat scans, including 495 patients whose external imaging had to be reassessed. Age-appropriate imaging was suboptimal, with only 11% of patients under 40 receiving mammograms and 51% of those over 40 missing them. Among 479 patients with prior external biopsies, 120 (25.1%) required repeat biopsies, of which 75 (62.5%) were malignant and 45 (37.5%) benign. Overall, 25% of external biopsies were discordant, with 62.5% of these discordant cases confirmed malignant on repeat testing, underscoring the urgent need for accurate, coordinated diagnostic evaluation.
Dr. Selvi emphasised that it is high time single, integrated breast cancer centres are promoted through healthcare policies, with clear quality standards and accreditation systems to ensure accurate and reliable diagnostic processes. “In a typical one-stop centre, all diagnostic steps – clinical examination, imaging, and biopsy if needed, are completed under one roof in a single coordinated visit. The complete triple assessment could be achieved in a median of 125 minutes, with biopsy reports available within 72 hours, enabling definitive treatment planning within just 2-3 visits. This approach reduces waiting times, minimises errors by having the same team review all results, and provides women in India, where travel, cost, and time are often major barriers, with access to life-saving care within days rather than weeks.”
She noted that the breast cancer burden in India is steadily rising, with nearly 2,50,000 new cases and over 1,00,000 deaths reported in 2024, and incidence continuing to grow across urban and semi-urban populations. “Recognising this urgency, the government is taking steps to promote early detection. The introduction of ‘The Breast Cancer (Awareness, Early Detection and Diagnosis) Bill, 2025’ in Parliament by Ms. Kanimozhi MP is heartening and it is in the right direction of strengthening awareness and early diagnosis efforts. However, while legislative support is crucial, India urgently needs single, integrated one-stop centres with strong policy oversight and quality standards to ensure accurate and timely breast cancer diagnosis.”
