Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2026
Optimization of Breast Biopsy and Mastectomy Sample Collection Procedures for Biobanking, Personalized Medicine, and Research Applications
Published on: September 2, 2025
Patient perceptions of breast biopsy procedures for screen-detected lesions
Berta M Geller1, Robert G Oppenheimer, Ruth M Mickey
1Department of Family Practice, Office of Health Promotion Research, University of Vermont, Burlington, 05401-3444, USA. berta.geller@uvm.edu
Objective:
This study was undertaken to compare patient perceptions of 2 common image-guided breast biopsy procedures on 3 main outcomes: decision making about which procedure to undergo, its convenience, and its side effects.
Methods:
Women who had either an excisional or ultrasound-guided core needle breast biopsy in 1997 for a screen-detected lesion had telephone interviews 1 to 3 months after the biopsy. Bivariate associations were tested by using chi(2) and t test statistics. Mulitvariate analyses were used to control for effects of demographic characteristics.
Results:
Most women (66%) could not remember being offered a choice of procedures, and of those who did have a choice, a higher proportion had an excisional biopsy. Only 2% reported being told the cost of the biopsy procedure. Women who had an excisional biopsy compared with those who had undergone a core needle biopsy reported statistically more hours and days off from work and reported more side effects 1 to 3 days after the biopsy (P<.05). Associations between side effects and type of biopsy procedure were unchanged when adjustment was made for demographic characteristics.
Conclusion:
Women who had the ultrasound-guided needle biopsy reported significantly fewer side effects and needed less time off from work. When a suspicious lesion is noticed on a screening mammogram, it is important that women and their physicians discuss the benefits and risks of the various biopsy procedures before deciding how to proceed, allowing for informed choice.
