AIM: Our aim is to identify the subgroups of women undergoing breast conserving surgery (BCS) who are at high risk for positive surgical margins and who require a re-excision procedure and understand the characteristics of tumor and hormone receptors that will allow surgeons to remove larger margins. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred twenty-nine patients with invasive carcinoma in breast who underwent BCS were included in the study. Women with a positive surgical margin (n = 61) required re-excision procedure. RESULTS: Patients with high grade breast cancer, negative hormone receptor status, high Ki-67 status, upper outer quadrant tumor, and associated ductal carcinoma were more likely to undergo tumor removal and re-excision. CONCLUSION: The pathological and clinical predictors described above that meet these criteria require the removal of larger margins for safety in order to minimize the rate of positive surgical margins