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Biopsy

What happens if the radiologist finds a suspicious area in the breast tissue when the x-ray is read?

Remember, 80 percent of all lesions are noncancerous.

First, discuss with your physician your options and treatment appropriate for your diagnosis.

Your physician may talk to you about different treatments.

These may include:

• A follow-up mammogram to provide additional views of the suspicious breast area.
• An ultrasound to determine the density and the consistency of the lesion.
• A surgical biopsy,performed under general anesthesia, where the lesion and surrounding tissue is removed.
• A stereotactic biopsy to gather tissue for microscopic study.
  This is a same-day surgery performed on a specially designed table.

Different biopsy systems used for a stereotactic biopsy include the ABBI and MIBB.

For additional information contact the American Cancer Society.

Q: What is a breast biopsy?
A: A biopsy is the removal and examination of tissue to establish precise diagnosis. This is the way to determine if a lesion is benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

While as many as one million American women undergo breast biopsies each year, approximately 80% of biopsies are benign. The biopsy is usually performed under local anesthesia, and you can go home the same day; however, this may vary with use of different technology.

Q: How is a breast biopsy performed?
A: There are 3 common biopsy techniques for nonpalpable lesions (those that can't be felt):

1. Needle localization with open surgical biopsy
2. Core needle biopsy
3. Fine needle aspiration

The most common is open surgical biopsy. The second most common is a core needle biopsy. Both are used when the lesion in question is nonpalpable.

If the results show that the sample is cancerous, another operation may be needed to remove the remainder of the lesion.

Needle localization with open surgical biopsy is a two-step process where a radiologist manually places a wire marker into the breast to identify the location of the lesion.

You are then moved to a surgical suite, where the surgeon, using the wire marker as a guide, finds the specimen and removes it through an open incision.

Core needle biopsy is a minimally invasive procedure where a needle is used to remove multiple samples of tissue. It can be performed with local anesthesia and requires no sutures afterward.

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