A study recently released by The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reveals that newer minimally invasive breast cancer tests are just as accurate as surgical biopsies.  This is great news because it means that there are more options for women who don’t want to take the risk of surgery, and it also means that medical malpractice cases relating to breast biopsies may decline.

The study compared more commonly used surgical biopsies to what’s known as “core needle biopsies”, which are much less invasive.  It revealed that although open surgery was previously considered the most accurate method of testing for the disease, recent technological improvements have made the core needle method just as reliable.  And, not surprisingly, women tend to prefer the core needle test to open surgery because it is less invasive and carries fewer risks.

Open surgical biopsies involve removing the questionable breast tissue by way of a surgical incision.  The reason the risks are so much greater with this type of procedure is because the patient is typically under general anesthesia during the biopsy and is sometimes required to stay overnight in the hospital to recover.  And, of course, there is risk of medical malpractice associated with any type of surgical procedure, no matter how small.

The core needle biopsy involves insertion of a hollow core needle through the skin and into the breast tissue to collect a sample.  The core test is usually done as an out-patient procedure, and typically only requires the use of local anesthesia.
Another important fact to note is that only a small percentage of women who undergo breast biopsies are actually suffering from cancer.  This means that the core needle biopsy will help reduce the number of woman who are not suffering from cancer, but are still placed at risk of a surgical procedure, thereby reducing the chance of surgical malpractice on countless patients.

Of course, each situation is different, and all options should be carefully researched and considered on a case by case basis.  It’s always best to discuss with a doctor to determine which method would be best.  However, hopefully this new option will encourage women to be advocates for their own health and help reduce the risk they face in the process.

For some people, this message comes too late.  Anyone who has been harmed during a surgical breast biopsy should contact a medical attorney immediately to find out if there is a legitimate case of medical malpractice.