Comparison study between stereotactic versus digital breast tomosynthesis-guided core needle biopsy.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Breast Cancer Diagnostics

Background:

• Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) enables direct biopsy of suspicious abnormalities.
• Core needle biopsy (CNB) is a key diagnostic tool for breast lesions.
• Comparing DBT-guided and stereotactic (ST)-guided CNB is crucial for optimizing breast biopsy procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare the performance and outcomes of ST-guided and DBT-guided CNB.
• To assess differences in procedure time, radiation exposure, and diagnostic accuracy between the two biopsy guidance methods.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of CNBs performed between August 2021 and July 2024.
• Data collected included image exposures, average glandular dose (AGD), procedure time, and pathologic results.
• Statistical analysis using Mann-Whitney U, independent t-tests, Chi-squared, and Fisher's exact tests.

Main Results:

• DBT-guided CNB used fewer image exposures (1 vs. 3) and had a lower overall AGD (2.09 mGy vs. 7.39 mGy) compared to ST-guided CNB.
• Procedure time was significantly reduced with DBT-guided CNB (571.0s vs. 827.0s).
• No significant differences were found in the concordant or upgrade rates between DBT-guided and ST-guided CNB.

Conclusions:

• DBT-guided CNB offers advantages in reduced procedure time, fewer image exposures, and lower radiation dose compared to ST-guided CNB.
• DBT-guided CNB maintains diagnostic accuracy comparable to ST-guided CNB.
• These findings support DBT-guided CNB as an efficient and effective method for breast lesion biopsy.