Stereotactic and Needle Breast Biopsy

Excerpt

Breast cancer remains the second most common cause of cancer death among women worldwide. In 2018, 234,087 cases were diagnosed in the United States, and 2.2 million were diagnosed globally. Most of the asymptomatic and nonpalpable cancers are diagnosed by screening mammograms or other imaging modalities. An increase in the incidence of breast cancer is found in women younger than age 50, and these cases are often histologically unfavorable.

A tissue diagnosis of any breast lesion is necessary to determine the appropriate treatment. Historically, the only diagnostic option was an excisional biopsy, reserved for palpable masses. Diagnosing breast lesions visible only on mammograms presented a significant challenge; initially, lesions were tagged for biopsy using a wire, dye, or carbon.

Dr. Steve H Parker's stereotactic core biopsy in the late 1980s marked a revolutionary shift in how women with mammography-detected lesions are biopsied and treated. Many subsequent advances, such as incorporating the biopsy needle into the mammographic stereotactic system and improving the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatibility of the biopsy device, have resulted in millions of breast biopsies performed annually with high accuracy and low complication rates, providing a cost-effective means of yielding histologic information for patients with nonpalpable breast cancer and an alternative to surgical excisional biopsies.