As recently as the late 1970s, breast biopsy was performed by placing women under general anesthesia and using open surgery to collect a sample for analysis. When cancer was discovered, the protocol was often to perform a radical mastectomy there on the spot. That was a troublesome time, but things are very different now.
Fortunately, advances in medicine, technology and cancer treatment have evolved tremendously over the past decades. “Thanks to innovations in radiology, we now have minimally-invasive image-guided biopsy,” says Breast Imaging subspecialist, Dr. Jacqueline M. Bernard. “Using high-tech guidance, we’re able to exactly locate the area requiring study and take samples with minimal intrusion. As a doctor fellowship-trained in breast imaging, I’m honored to be part of the amazing progress radiology has made in biopsy and overall treatment.”
When breast self-examination, mammography, breast ultrasound or breast MRI captures a lesion within breast tissue and a biopsy is needed, sophisticated image-guidance is used to direct a specialized needle straight to the area under investigation, where several tissue samples can be quickly collected with minimal invasion and discomfort using only a local anesthetic. There are different types of image-guidance for core needle biopsies, to be chosen on a per-case basis. They include:
Stereotactic biopsy – Radiology Associates utilizes advanced 3D mammography to locate the site of an abnormality for precise sample collection.
MRI-guided biopsy – Breast MRI is a radiation-free imaging exam that produces highly detailed images, even within very dense breast tissue.
Ultrasound-guided biopsy – Ultrasound is a painless, radiation-free exam that provides effective guidance to lesions. Its speed and comfort make it one of the most patient-friendly imaging tests in existence.
Unlike decades past, these image-guided biopsy methods don’t require general anesthesia or involve surprise life-altering surgeries. Testing is done on an outpatient basis, so patients go home immediately afterward. Pain is usually manageable with Tylenol or ibuprofen.
What if a lesion is cancerous?
When a collected sample shows signs of cancer, full mastectomy is no longer the only solution – in fact, 65% of women elect to have breast-conserving therapy (BCT), such as lumpectomy or quadrantectomy. Long-term data shows that when combined with appropriate treatment like radiation, survival rates for BCT are comparable to mastectomy, with significantly less physical and emotional trauma and an easier, more body-confident recovery.
“When breast cancer is caught and treated while it is still localized, women can choose BCT and secure a nearly 100% survival rate,” says Dr. Bernard. “So, I encourage women to be dutiful about performing monthly breast self-exams and getting routine screening mammograms.”
If your self-exam or breast imaging exam revealed something requiring further testing, talk to your clinician about image-guided biopsy from Radiology Associates today.