Stereotactic breast biopsy is accurate, minimally invasive, and cost effective.

BACKGROUND: We reviewed our experience with stereotactic core needle breast biopsy (SCNBB) for accuracy, complication rate, and staging profile of malignancies diagnosed.

METHODS: Since March 1993, 530 stereotactic biopsies were performed. Of these, 25 cases underwent stereotactic core needle biopsy with subsequent wire-guided biopsy.

RESULTS: In 25 patients with stereotactic and open biopsy, there was an accuracy for SCNBB of 96%. The number of biopsies rose from 100 to 250 biopsies annually, with an equivalent pre-test positive predictive value for mammography (17% to 19% historical versus 20% with SCNBB). The total number of de novo cancer diagnoses have increased from a mean of 57 to a mean of 71 annually. The percentage of tumors in situ, stage I or stage II, has increased from 60% to 69%.

CONCLUSIONS: Stereotactic core needle biopsy combines a high accuracy with a low complication rate. Its aggressive application for tissue diagnosis in suspicious nonpalpable mammographic lesions has increased the proportion of early (in situ and T1 or T2) tumors discovered, and increased the total number of breast cancers diagnosed.