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Would you explain minimally-invasive needle biopsy, its degree of accuracy in discovering breast cancer, and when this option available for patients?

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Topics (Tags):

Biopsy Breast Cancer Minimally-invasive Needle Biopsy Breast Biopsy Needle Biopsy

Topics:

Biopsy X Breast Cancer X Minimally-invasive Needle Biopsy X Breast Biopsy X Needle Biopsy X

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Diseases:

Breast Cancer

Diseases:

Breast Cancer

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Answers (1)

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

Over the past 20 years, the standard of care for sampling suspicious lesions in the breast has evolved from open surgical biopsies to the modern standard of minimally-invasive needle biopsy. Over many years, studies have confirmed that needle biopsies are as accurate as surgical biopsies in diagnosing breast cancer, and the needle has advantages: no operating room visit, less invasive, minimal if any scarring, no stitches, fewer complications, less expensive, quicker to perform. In addition, if cancer is diagnosed with a needle biopsy, the patient will have a greater chance of having just one surgery. (If the cancer is diagnosed on a surgical biopsy, the patient usually has to return to the operating room a second time to get all of the cancer out, and to sample the lymph nodes under the arm.) Although most biopsies can be performed with a needle, approximately 10% of biopsies must be performed surgically. The reasons include: living in a region where there are no specialists trained to perform the needle biopsy; the location of the lesion might be in a part of the breast that the needle cannot safely reach; patient inability to cooperate with positioning for the needle biopsy; medical conditions that make direct control of bleeding in the operating room necessary; a breast that is too small or large to allow for the biopsy to be performed with a needle; the presence of an implant, which might not allow for a needle biopsy without a high risk of rupturing the implant.

Over the past 20 years, the standard of care for sampling suspicious lesions in the breast has evolved from open surgical biopsies to the modern standard of minimally-invasive needle biopsy.  Over many years, studies have confirmed that needle biopsies are as accurate as surgical biopsies in diagnosing breast cancer, and the needle has advantages:  no operating room visit, less invasive, minimal if any scarring, no stitches, fewer complications, less expensive, quicker to perform.  In addition, if cancer is diagnosed with a needle biopsy, the patient will have a greater chance of having just one surgery.  (If the cancer is diagnosed on a surgical biopsy, the patient usually has to return to the operating room a second time to get all of the cancer out, and to sample the lymph nodes under the arm.)  Although most biopsies can be performed with a needle, approximately 10% of biopsies must be performed surgically.  The reasons include:  living in a region where there are no specialists trained to perform the needle biopsy; the location of the lesion might be in a part of the breast that the needle cannot safely reach; patient inability to cooperate with positioning for the needle biopsy; medical conditions that make direct control of bleeding in the operating room necessary; a breast that is too small or large to allow for the biopsy to be performed with a needle; the presence of an implant, which might not allow for a needle biopsy without a high risk of rupturing the implant.

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Latest Activity: 02 / 07 / 2012
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