In the current issue of Cancer (April 1), there is a an interesting news article summarizing the findings of the 3rd International Consensus Conference on Image-Detected Breast Cancer. The expert panel suggests that in up to 35% of cases, patients are undergoing unnecessary open surgical biopsies as a first diagnostic procedure when core needle biopsy is less invasive, can be just as effective and costs significantly less.

One of the more interesting comments from the panel was noting correctly that the vast majority of core biopsies turn out to be benign and not a cancer. Therefore, many women may be undergoing open surgical biopsies for a benign diagnosis when a first-line core biopsy could have made that diagnosis in less time, with less tissue removed from the breast, and at a cheaper cost to the patient.  Keep in mind that it is true that some initial core biopsies may not show cancer but there is something atypical found and that often leads to an open surgical biopsy anyway, but this is still a very controversial area and the data in the literature is conflicting.

I hope you find this news report interesting–I certainly did.  Comments are encouraged.