Role of high speed biopsy gun in breast cancer diagnosis

Preoperative diagnosis of histology and receptor status is important in management of breast cancer. Percutaneous automated core biopsy with biopsy gun (Gun biopsy) was done in fifty patients with palpable breast lump in whom fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was either negative or not done In all patients adequate tissue for histology and receptor status studies was obtained forty-two patients had infiltrating duct carcinoma and eight patients had benign lesions on gun biopsy. There were no complications in this procedure. Twenty of the forty-two patients underwent mastectomy either per primum or after chemotherapy, had the diagnosis substantiated on histopathological examination Thirty-four samples were examined for receptor status and the specimen was found to be adequate and of good quality. We conclude that gun biopsy is a simple and safe procedure which is more sensitive and specific than FNAC.