Vacuum devices reduce rebiopsy rate

The use of ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy devices should help reduce the need for rebiopsies, researchers in a large multicenter trial reported Monday.

The study covered five centers in Canada, the U.S., and Europe and included results from 13,582 ultrasound-guided biopsies conducted between 1999 and 2003. There were 123 rebiopsies.

The rebiopsy rate ranged from 0.2% to 3.21%, depending on the center. The most common reason for rebiopsy was radiological-pathological discordance. The rebiopsy resulted in a diagnostic change 61% of the time, and in 17% of the cases, led to a diagnosis of cancers missed in the first biopsy.

The single biggest factor influencing the rebiopsy rate was the use of a 14-gauge core needle biopsy device, according to the study. Other factors were dense breasts and BI-RADS ratings of four or five. The size of the lesion was not a significant factor.

Other studies have examined the rebiopsy question but, with smaller patient numbers, did not to have the statistical power of the current study, said presenter N. Duchesne of the University of Ottawa.

Although a 14-gauge biopsy device is less expensive than a vacuum-assisted device, the findings suggested a need for wider use of the vacuum assisted device, Duchesne said.