New approaches to the imaging, diagnosis, and biopsy of breast lesions

Currently, breast cancer is detected and diagnosed by a combination of physical examination, imaging, and biopsy. Particularly for younger women, the limitations of these methods can cause a cancerous lesion to go undetected because neither physical examination nor imaging are infallible, and neither can promise the early detection of all breast cancers. Dense breasts make physical examination, mammography, and ultrasound less sensitive. Breast screening of all types generates over a million breast biopsies in the U.S. alone. This article reviews how to optimize the approach to breast biopsy using available methods to minimize the number of procedures a woman experiences, and describes tools in development that will hopefully improve our ability to diagnose and treat breast cancer.