Butler Health System | Butler Health | Spring 2018

BREAST CANCER PREVENTION Stereotactic breast biopsy, explained If a mammogram or other tests show something unusual in your breast—such as a suspicious mass, an abnormal change in your breast tissue or microcalcifications, a tiny cluster of small calcium deposits—your doctor might refer you for a stereotactic breast biopsy. Here is what you need to know about this procedure. The biopsy itself shouldn’t be too painful. The entire pro- cess takes about an hour. You may have some bruising and swelling afterward, and you should avoid strenuous activity for at least 24 hours after the biopsy. It’s important to keep in mind that having a biopsy doesn’t automatically mean you have breast cancer. In fact, most biopsy results are not cancer. But a biopsy is the only way to find out. Sources: American Cancer Society; National Institutes of Health; Radiological Society of North America Ruthane Reginella, MD, of the BHS Women’s Imaging Center. What is stereotactic breast biopsy? A. Breast biopsies, in general, involve removing cells that are examined under a microscope for signs of cancer. During a stereotactic breast biopsy, a radiologist uses a special mammography machine to guide a biopsy needle to the site of the suspicious area in your breast. A stereotactic breast biopsy is less invasive and usu- ally less costly than a surgical biopsy—in which all or part of a lump is removed for testing—and it’s done on an outpatient basis. Q. How is it done? A. You’ll undress from the waist up. In most cases, you’ll be asked to lie face down on a table. Your breast will hang freely through an opening in the table. The table will be raised and the biopsy performed underneath it. In some cases the biopsy may be done while you sit in a chair. Your breast will be compressed to hold it in position. The radiologist will numb your breast with a local anesthetic. Guided by mammographic images, the radiologist will insert a needle into the suspicious area in your breast and remove multiple tissue samples. He or she may place a small metal clip in your breast at the biopsy site so that it can be located, if needed, for a surgical biopsy in the future. The tissue samples are then sent to a laboratory for analysis. Q. butlerhealthsystem.org | 7