Measureing a tumor that was destroyed during biopsy?

goofytoo

I mentioned this in several other posts and hate to be repetitive but I really want to know how a tumor is measured. Does anyone know how a pathologist measures the size of a tumor?  Ultrasound showed a ball shaped 1.5cm tumor.  9mm was removed during a biopsy.  There were 3 pieces left with measurements of 2.5mm, 1mm and 1 mm. They were all IDC.  If I add the pieces together I end up with 1.35cm.  The pathologist stated the tumor was between .5cm and 1cm. 

Biopsy was done at a different hospital than the mastectomy.  The biopsy measurements were listed as % of cm, the mastectomy measurements were in mm.  The surgical pathologist did not give a specific measurement for the tumor, so I have no idea how he came up with less than 1cm.

I don't see an oncologist for another two weeks.  Once I get a question in my head I just sit and obsess.  So the specific question I have is "How does a pathologist determine tumor size when the tumor was torn in pieces during the biopsy?" I do hope someone can help me out.

Frostecat

I don't have that answer, but I will say that I had a very small tumor believed to be about 2mm, that was tagged during a sterotactic biopsy.  In my final path report, there was no mention of this.  My BS was not too happy about this, since there were two tumors, and called the pathologist and asked him to go back over my report.  (he should have at least saw the tag).  My BS said the tumor was so small that it was probably removed during the biopsy.