Electrocautery and hormone receptor status in breast biopsy

Surgical technique in performing breast biopsy has been implicated as having deleterious effects on the heat-labile estrogen and progesterone receptors found in many breast carcinomas. This study analyzed the effect of the use of electrocautery dissection on the outcome of the hormone receptor assay. No difference was found between specimens excised using electrocautery and those excised using scalpel and scissor dissection.