Abstract
Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of the percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) excision system (BLES) as a primary method of diagnosis and removal of small breast masses. Methods Ninety-six lesions in 95 patients with 50.5 ± 8.4 years of age were treated in a five-year period by a single operator. Inclusion criteria were as follows: size (<20 mm), depth (>10 mm), and indeterminate or suspicious radiological features (74 BI-RADS 3 and 22 BI-RADS 4). The procedure was performed under ultrasound (US) guidance using 6 G retriever probes with 12-, 15-, and 20-mm baskets. Results Lesions were between 5 and 20 (12.3 ± 3.8) mm in length. They were removed at the first attempt in all but one case. The technical success rate was 98.95%, and the diagnostic success rate was 100%. Ninety-one lesions were histologically benign and five were neoplastic. Two lesions that were previously classified as BI-RADS 3 were diagnosed as neoplasia (atypical lobular hyperplasia), and nineteen lesions that were previously classified as BI-RADS 4a were diagnosed as benign. The complete excision rate (presence of tumor-free negative surgical margin) was 40% in neoplastic lesions. There were no major complications. The minor complication rate was 1.58%. No recurrence was observed during 18 months of follow-up. Conclusion BLES delivers surgical quality specimens for confident histopathological examination and is a safe alternative to surgical resection in lesions with suitable size.
Highlights
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women of all races [1]
95 females with ages between 27 and 70 (50.5 ± 8.4) were treated, and one of them had two independent lesions. ese patients were referred by surgeons to exclude a subtle focus of malignancy in BI-RADS 3 and 4a lesions and/or per subjective concerns. irty-two of these cases were sampled with core-needle biopsies (CNB) within the previous two months but were rereferred for indications that were stated previously
In the context of the latter criterion, 74 lesions were classified as BI-RADS 3 and 22 lesions were classified as BI-RADS 4a
Summary
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women of all races [1]. Roughly one out of eight women will develop invasive breast cancer during her life [2]. The mortality of breast cancer has decreased rapidly after 1989, with a total decline of 39% through 2015 [2]. Almost 90% of breast masses can be detected clinically or radiologically. Erefore, the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Breast Surgery recommend presurgical biopsy in all clinical and/or radiological masses. Erefore, excisional breast biopsies were decreased and core-needle biopsies (CNB) were increased in number throughout the years [5]. The latter have the disadvantage of producing small samples that would cause inadequate assessment in up to a quarter of cases [6]. Vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) was recommended to overcome this obstacle. at technique allowed to obtain multiple cores from various locations, providing much larger but independent samples [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call