New instrumentation allows for removal of nonpalpable breast lesions

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Approximately 90% of breast cancer is curable if it is diagnosed and treated early. Increasingly, women are participating in mammographic screenings, which result in earlier detection of nonpalpable lesions. In the past, surgical removal was not an option for small lesions, and frequent mammographic monitoring was required until patients' lesions were large enough for needle core biopsies or needle localization for open surgical biopsies. Technology now has combined stereotactic imaging with a minimally invasive biopsy system for removal of these nonpalpable lesions. This capability for accurate early diagnosis and intervention is essential in improving patients' survival rates.