A stereotactic breast biopsy is performed with a special mammography machine that uses ionizing radiation to help guide the physician to an abnormal area in the breast.
Stereotactic breast biopsy is performed when the patient or physician strongly prefers a nonsurgical method of assessing a breast abnormality shown by a mammogram, such as:
- A suspicious solid mass
- Micro calcifications – 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 present at a previous surgery site
Stereotactic guidance is used in four biopsy procedures:
- Fine needle aspiration (FNA), which uses a very small needle to extract fluid or cells from the abnormal area.
- 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.
- Wire localization, in which a guide wire is placed into the suspicious area to help the surgeon locate the lesion during surgical biopsy.
It is best to wear a two piece outfit. You may be asked to remove jewelry, eye glasses or clothing that may interfere with the x-ray images.
Women should always inform their physician if there is any possibility that they are pregnant.
You should not wear deodorant, powder, lotion or perfume under your arms or on your breasts on the day of the exam.
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