Present state of and problems with core needle biopsy for non-palpable breast lesions

The widespread use of screening mammography has resulted in increased detection of nonpalpable breast lesions here in Japan. For the histopathologic work-up of these lesions, stereotactic core biopsy is essential as a minimally invasive diagnostic procedure. However, the number of facilities that provide this procedure cannot keep up with the increasing demand from patients. Another issue is interpreting the results of the biopsy. With a histological diagnosis using needle samples, there is always a risk of underestimation or a false-negative result. To avoid missing cancers after stereotactic biopsy, it is important to check for sampling errors and for discrepancies between the radiologic and pathologic findings. We are pushing for the rapid spread of an ideal form of stereotactic breast core biopsy (using prone-type units, digital methods, and vacuum-assisted breast biopsy devices) throughout Japan so that every patient can undergo this examination.