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EARLY EXPERIENCE WITH NEEDLE LOCALIZATION AND BIOPSY OF MAMMOGRAPHIC LESIONS
Author(s) -
Bird D.,
Hart S.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1990.tb07380.x
Subject(s) - medicine , radiology , mammography , radiological weapon , biopsy , magnification , breast cancer , work up , carcinoma , cancer , pathology , computer science , computer vision
Increasing awareness of the value of mammography by both physicians and the public has resulted in women presenting more commonly with impalpable breast lesions. This study reviews the radiology and pathology of 58 such lesions biopsied by the Monash Medical Centre Breast Unit between August 1987 and October 1988. Abnormal mammograms were reported by one of two independent radiologists in the normal course of practice and placed into one of five categories according to the radiological appearance. Those lesions scoring ≥ 3 were then needle localized, excised and examined histologically. All mammograms were later reported as unknowns by the other radiologist and similarly scored. Sixteen (28%) of these lesions were invasive or in situ carcinoma and of these a significant number were scored differently by the two radiologist. The results indicate that needle localization biopsy of suspicious mammographic lesions is a safe, accurate method for the diagnosis of ealry breast cancer. The results also show significant variation between radiologists and demonstrate the need for double reading of screening mammographic films. It is suggested that doubtful lesions require more extensive work‐up with compression/magnification and other special view, the aim being more accurate radiological assessment and a reduction in the benign biopsy rate.