Advances in breast intervention: where are we now and where should we be?

Abstract

In the past four decades, a variety of methods for minimal or non-invasive diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer have been introduced. Although breast imaging has become more and more specific for diagnosis, specimen biopsy with histopathological confirmation is still necessary. Core-needle biopsy under ultrasound guidance is the appropriate first choice for the diagnosis of most lesions. Fine-needle aspiration is of interest for identification of the presence of metastatic disease in abnormal lymph nodes. For microcalcifications, vacuum-assisted biopsy is recommended, especially with stereotactic guidance. In recent years different therapeutic techniques have been developed for the treatment of solid lesions, including breast cancer. Certainly, with the improvement of technology and medical scientific progress, it is becoming more common to use minimal- or non-invasive therapies. The proposed minimally invasive techniques may offer complete treatment of breast cancer, with better cosmetic results, less psychological stress, and shorter hospital stays. In this article, the strengths and weaknesses of the different diagnostic and therapeutic techniques are presented, and promising techniques for the future are discussed.