Staying on Top of Your HealthAs a seasoned traveler,
Diane Dodge never let anything stand in her way of seeing the world. But after she lost her sister-in-law to breast cancer, Diane was forced to pause and take her own health into consideration. She decided to have what she thought would be a routine mammogram, but when the procedure uncovered two lesions, Diane was suddenly grounded. To determine if these were cancerous, Diane’s physician immediately ordered several biopsies of her breast. One of the lesions, which turned out to be benign, was able to be biopsied with a minimally invasive technique known as core needle.
Breast Cancer Statistics: The Second Most Deadly Cancer in U.S. Women
| Number of women diagnosed with breast cancer per year | 211,2401 |
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| Number of women estimated to die from breast cancer in 2005 | 40,4101 |
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| Annual cost of breast cancer treatment in the U.S. (2004 dollars) | $8.1 billion2 |
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| Percentage of mammograms called back for a biopsy | Less than 5%1 |
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| Percentage of women over age 40 getting regular mammograms | 80%3 |
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The other lesion was more problematic. Similar to nearly 50 percent of the 1.6 million breast tumors biopsied each year,4 it was hard and marble-like. Unable to penetrate it using a core needle device, her physician used a new, minimally invasive vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VAB) device. This technology requires only a 4.5 (approx) millimeter incision, and leaves little or no scarring on the breast. With ultrasound guidance, the physician positions the special breast probe near the lesion. The physician then presses a button on the VAB device and it vacuums in and cuts a tissue sample into the probe. Using this device, Diane’s physician was able to examine a section of the troublesome tumor, and thankfully pathology diagnosed it as benign. After her VAB procedure, Diane said, “It didn’t hurt in the slightest, and it gave me peace of mind to know I was being treated with the best technology available.”
Major Advances Have Led to Improved Survival Rates and Lower Costs Twenty years ago, biopsies were typically done with an open surgical procedure. Back then, if cancer was found during the biopsy, a woman could awaken from the procedure to find that she had been given a mastectomy. Today, there are many effective treatments that help patients avoid a mastectomy.
By diagnosing breast cancer early, through regular mammograms and advanced biopsy procedures, such as the vacuum-assisted technique, patients have an increased chance of taking advantage of less radical procedures. The VAB device is a minimally invasive technology that makes biopsies quicker to perform, leaves less scarring and allows faster recovery.
Improved diagnostic, biopsy and treatment procedures have contributed to the recent decline in deaths from breast cancer. In fact, there has been a significant increase in the five-year breast cancer survival rate, from 78.8 percent in 1985 to 86.9 percent in 1995, and it continues to rise.5
Medical Technology Revolutionizes Breast Biopsies| | Open Surgical Biopsy | Minimally Invasive Biopsy Procedures (VAB) |
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| Incision Size6 | 1.5 inches - 2 inchestd> | 0.12” - 0.20” |
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| Procedure Time6 | 2-4 hours | 30-60 minutes |
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| Recovery Time6 | Several hours | Immediate |
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| Scarring6 | Substantial | Minimal (1 needle insertion) |
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| Surgical Wound Closure6 | Stitches and a surgical bandage | 1 adhesive bandage |
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| Cost7 | $1,169-$1,360 | $517-$855 |
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Vacuum Assisted Breast Biopsies: A Valuable Option In a recent scientific paper8, 23 leading surgeons, radiologists, pathologists and oncologists said that when breast biopsies are required, minimally invasive biopsies should be the procedures of choice. They also agreed that open surgical biopsies should almost never be performed, though experts estimate that nearly a third of breast biopsies performed in the United States are still done this way.
The panel stated that minimally invasive procedures can better prepare surgeons for complete and precise removal of the cancer in those cases with malignancies, sparing patients a second surgery. Since only about 20 percent of breast biopsies are positive, minimally invasive breast biopsy procedures, like the VAB procedure, can help many women avoid unnecessary open surgical biopsies.
The VAB device, the latest innovation in minimally invasive breast biopsy techniques, has been shown to be cost-effective compared to traditional biopsy methods. In a study to compare the total costs of VAB to open surgical biopsy, researchers concluded the overall cost advantage using VAB ranged from $314 to $843 per procedure, depending on the facility type.7
Moreover, another study that assessed the value of advances in breast cancer treatment from 1980 to 2000 found a $4.80 return on investment for every dollar spent on advances in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment during that period.9
The fear of breast cancer still lingers for Diane, but it does not prevent her from pursuing her travels; instead, she seeks a semi-annual mammogram and ultrasound to put her mind at ease. “I do know that even if the worst were to happen, innovative technologies like the VAB would help me catch it early,” she says. “I’m going to live my life to the fullest because you never know what could happen down the road.”