Objective: To report experience obtained by the authors in core-cut biopsy (CCB) of focal breast lesions and to discuss the value of this interventional method for mammodiagnostics and also for surgical and oncological treatment. Material and method: The authors performed CCB in 262 patients aged 21-88 years. In 242 patients CCB was guided by ultrasound and in 20 patients by the stereotactic method. This study evaluates the reliability of CCB in making the histological diagnosis and shows its importance in the therapeutic approach in patients with breast cancer. Results: Malignancy was proved in 83 patients (32%), precancerosis in 14 (5%), benign tumours in 73 patients (28%) and benign mastopathy in 87 (33%). In all the 262 patients the material obtained by CCB was sufficient for giving a precise histological diagnosis. In only 12 patients the definitive histological diagnosis needed a second CCB. The histological diagnoses of malignant and benign lesions were identical for both CCB and open biopsy. In 5 cases diagnosed by CCB as ADH the results of open biopsy were different. In patients with breast carcinoma the amount of Her-2/neu oncogen and the presence of hormonal receptors were determined from CCB tissue samples. Conclusion: Authors confirmed that CCB is an interventional method with high accuracy in the histological diagnosis of focal breast lesions. Authors recommend its inclusion in the algorithm of mammodiagnostics.

        Key words: biopsy – ultrasound – stereotactic – carcinoma