Breast Cancer

MR-Guided Breast Biopsy

Taking a breast biopsy guided in real-time by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is the latest development and an important advance in diagnosing breast cancer. Radiologists at Mayo Clinic were among the first in the country to perform this type of biopsy. The technology allows the radiologist to take the biopsy in the MR suite. This streamlines the diagnostic process and in some cases makes it possible to biopsy suspicious tissue that would otherwise have been very difficult to target.

MR-guided breast biopsy is often a preferred alternative to surgical biopsy. It is used when ultrasound or mammogram (stereotactic) guided biopsy is not appropriate because the area of concern is not well seen by mammogram or ultrasound. Sometimes, MR-guided biopsy is called for when an abnormality is seen only on a breast MR and cannot be visualized by ultrasound or mammogram.

Guided by MR imaging, the doctor places a needle into the suspicious area and removes a sample. A core needle, which removes a small, cylindrical-shaped tissue sample, is used. The procedure requires only a topical anesthetic and leaves little to no scarring. MR-guided breast biopsy costs less than a surgical biopsy, can be done in less than an hour and has no potential complications.

Mayo Clinic uses newer core needle technology that uses a special vacuum-assisted needle to draw out tissue. Mayo Clinic is among the first sites in the country to use this sophisticated, MR-guided breast biopsy and excision system. The system, the only commercially available vacuum assisted biopsy device compatible with MR, makes vacuum assisted breast biopsy possible without leaving the MR suite. Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy has been shown to correctly identify cancer, when it is present, more often than biopsy devices without vacuum assistance. Thus, patients undergoing MR-guided biopsy with this device are less likely to have to undergo a surgical biopsy because of inconclusive biopsy results.