Is an excisional breast biopsy necessary?

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  • dotty478
    dotty478 Member Posts: 5
    edited April 2014

    my 2 mamos and 2 ultrasounds indicated suspicious for cancer, i then had breast specific gamma imaging and the radiologist told me i have stage 1 invasive breast cancer...so far all md are recommending core biopsy, and i want excisional biopsy....trying another surgeon next week, any advice ??

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  • leaf
    leaf Member Posts: 8,188
    edited April 2014

    If you haven't had a biopsy or excision, then no one can tell you with 100% certainty that you have invasive breast cancer.  The only one who diagnoses breast cancer (for sure 100%, except sometimes the unusual inflammatory breast cancer) is the pathologist, looking at tissue under the microscope. (Sometimes inflammatory breast cancer is diagnosed on clinical grounds.  Its not diagnosed on imaging.)

    In this study, breast specific gama imaging had some false positives and false negatives.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=false+positive+and+false+negative+rate+for+BSGI

    There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of biopsy.

    Core biopsy leaves less scarring, and if you have future imaging that means your imaging will be easier to read.  It is possible to miss the 'area of concern' with core biopsies (and especially with fine needle biopsies), and there can be some distortion of the tissue at the edges of the biopsy due to friction with the needle. (This is more severe with fine needle biopsies.)

    Excision is a 'gold standard' for diagnosis, but is more expensive, and there are more risks of infection, anesthesia, pain, etc.  It takes longer to recover.  Your insurance company may not approve it.  You will have a bigger scar externally. If your 'area of concern' is not palpable, a surgical excision can miss the 'area of concern' too.

    I've probably missed some advantages and  disadvantages.

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  • Andy1205
    Andy1205 Member Posts: 9
    edited April 2016

    I have microcalcifactions in my right breast, they did a needle core biopsy, and said that I have ADH Atypical Ductual Hyperplasia...and some pre cancerous cells showed on the core biopsy, they sent me to a Surgeon and now I am having a Excisional Biopsy (lumpectomy) to take out a bigger area, Im scheduled on May 13,2016. Has anybody else ever gone thru this ? I have been told that 85% come back as no cancer, or dcis. Im just wondering if it is worth going thru it ? If anyone can share their expierence...I would apprecticate it. I am 41 yrs old. And my mother was diagonsed with breast cancer at 43 yrs old. she survived.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited April 2016

    Hi Andy1205,

    Just letting you know that this thread has been inactive since 2014 so you may not receive any or many responses to your post.

    May we suggest you post your question in the active thread below: Lumpectomy Lounge: Lets talk...

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/91/topics...

    Hope this helps!

    The Mods.

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  • Ddw79
    Ddw79 Member Posts: 533
    edited April 2016

    Yes Andy exact same thing happened to me one year ago. I also had to have excisional biopsy. That is the protocol these days for what you have because there is a small chance for an " upgrade ."

    It is basically continued diagnostics. I hope it goes well

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  • Andy1205
    Andy1205 Member Posts: 9
    edited April 2016

    Thank you.

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  • Chewie
    Chewie Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2017

    thank you for these posts. I had a core biopsy last week and even though my results were benign, I was recommended to get surgery. I am meeting with surgeon on August 28. Feeling very anxious about the whole thing.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited August 2017

    Dear Chewie,

    Welcome to the community. We are sorry that your biopsy and the anxiety around it has brought you here but glad that you reached out. We are noticing that this particular thread is older and has not had recent activity and therefore may not be as readily seen by others. Perhaps you might post your concerns in the Not Diagnosed but Worried Forum imbedded here. You can start a new topic and it may bring more visibility. If you know a bit more about why your doc is recommending surgery that might be helpful too. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help you to navigate your way around the boards. The Mods

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