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When doing a breast biopsy, how is it assured that an adequate amount of tissue is obtained to successfully identify breast cancer?

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Topics (Tags):

Biopsy Breast Cancer Screening Breast Biopsy Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Topics:

Biopsy X Breast Cancer Screening X Breast Biopsy X Breast Cancer Diagnosis X

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Diseases:

Breast Cancer

Diseases:

Breast Cancer

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Answers (1)

StaceyVitielloMD (Physician - Radiology (Verified) ) - 02 / 07 / 2012

If the target for biopsy is microcalcifications, the adequacy of the specimen can be confirmed by doing a modified mammogram on the obtained specimens, to make sure that calcifications are within the tissue being sent to the pathologist. For masses and other types of biopsied lesions, it’s a bit trickier. For all biopsies, the amount of tissue collected can be visually assessed by the doctor performing the biopsy. For ultrasound-guided biopsies, the needle can be seen in real-time on the screen, and the doctor can see the biopsy needle going through the sampled lesion. For an MRI-guided biopsy, the MRI images taken with the biopsy needle in position are important for confirmation of appropriate tissue sampling. Knowing that there is always room for sampling error by the needle, most radiologists recommend six-month follow-up imaging of the biopsied breast, to confirm that the area biopsied has not changed in any significant way. In addition, when the radiologist receives the pathology report from the biopsy, he/she decides if this result from the pathologist is “concordant” with the imaging findings. If the pathology is not an acceptable answer for the radiologist’s findings (discordant), the radiologist will recommend that the lesion be taken out surgically to confirm benignity.

If the target for biopsy is microcalcifications, the adequacy of the specimen can be confirmed by doing a modified mammogram on the obtained specimens, to make sure that calcifications are within the tissue being sent to the pathologist.  For masses and other types of biopsied lesions, it’s a bit trickier.  For all biopsies, the amount of tissue collected can be visually assessed by the doctor performing the biopsy.  For ultrasound-guided biopsies, the needle can be seen in real-time on the screen, and the doctor can see the biopsy needle going through the sampled lesion.  For an MRI-guided biopsy, the MRI images taken with the biopsy needle in position are important for confirmation of appropriate tissue sampling.  Knowing that there is always room for sampling error by the needle, most radiologists recommend six-month follow-up imaging of the biopsied breast, to confirm that the area biopsied has not changed in any significant way.  In addition, when the radiologist receives the pathology report from the biopsy, he/she decides if this result from the pathologist is “concordant” with the imaging findings.  If the pathology is not an acceptable answer for the radiologist’s findings (discordant), the radiologist will recommend that the lesion be taken out surgically to confirm benignity.

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Latest Activity: 02 / 07 / 2012
Views: 218
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