Stereotactic breast biopsy

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Cayuga Medical Center
Hospital

Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Preparation Instructions


	Cayuga Medical Center 101 Dates Drive Ithaca, NY 14850 607-274-4011 Convenient Care at Ithaca Rte 13 & Warren Road Lansing 607-274-4150 Commons Imaging Route 281 & Commons Ave Cortland 607-758-7770

Lumps or abnormalities in the breast are often detected by physical examination, mammography, or other imaging studies. However, it is not always possible to tell from these imaging tests whether a growth is benign or cancerous.

A breast biopsy is performed to remove some cells—either surgically or through a less invasive procedure involving a hollow needle—from a suspicious area in the breast and examine them under a microscope to determine a diagnosis. Image-guided needle biopsy is not designed to remove the entire lesion, but most of a very small lesion may be removed in the process of biopsy.

Image-guided biopsy is performed when the abnormal area in the breast is too small to be felt, making it difficult to locate the lesion by hand (called palpation).

In stereotactic breast biopsy, a special mammography machine uses ionizing radiation to help guide the radiologist’s instruments to the site of the abnormal growth.

What are some common uses of the procedure?

A stereotactic breast biopsy is performed when a mammogram shows a breast abnormality such as:

	a suspicious solid mass
	microcalcifications, a tiny cluster of small calcium deposits
	a distortion in the structure of the breast tissue
	an area of abnormal tissue change
	a new mass or area of calcium deposits is present at a previous surgery site.

Stereotactic breast biopsy is also performed when the patient or physician strongly prefers a non-surgical method of assessing a breast abnormality.

Stereotactic guidance is used in two biopsy procedures:

	core needle (CN) which uses a large hollow needle to remove one sample of breast tissue per insertion.
	vacuum-assisted device (VAD) which uses a vacuum powered instrument to collect multiple tissue samples during one needle insertion.

Preparation Click here for print friendly preparation instructions.

Stereotactic Breast Biopsy

Imaging (Radiology) Procedures

What is the test?

Stereotactic breast biopsy is a nonsurgical method of collecting breast tissue for microscopic analysis. This type of biopsy is usually recommended to evaluate a mammographic finding.

How do I prepare?

Please plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. On the day of the exam, do not wear deodorant or powder. We suggest that you wear a two-piece outfit because you will be asked to disrobe from the waist up and given a hospital gown to wear.

What can I expect during the procedure?

You will lie on your stomach on a special table that has an opening for the breast to hang through. The breast will be positioned and compressed similar to a mammogram. A pair of mammogram images will be taken from two specific angles. (This is a “stereotactic” pair of images.) This step allows the radiologist to precisely locate the area for biopsy. Local anesthesia is used to numb the biopsy site. A special needle is positioned in the breast at the site selected for biopsy and tissue samples are taken. The specimens are sent to pathology for analysis. Stereotactic biopsy takes about an hour and a half, and causes no permanent scarring or deformity in the breast.

After the test?

You may experience a little soreness in the area of the biopsy, but most women find sufficient relief from over-the-counter pain medicine such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

How and when will I get my test results?

Typically, within 48 hours a written report of your test results will be sent to your referring physician, who will review them with you. Additional time (3 to 5 days) may be required if we are comparing these test results to previous findings from another hospital.

Where is the test performed?

Stereotactic biopsy is performed at the Convenient Care Campus on Warren Road at Arrowwood Drive in Ithaca.

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Click here for print friendly preparation instructions.

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