Breast Biopsy

Biopsies for breast cancer in Israel are carried out at the Mammary Gland Health Center at Herzliya Medical Center. The high professional and technological level of the clinic allow for painless and safe biopsies of the breast, using the most modern techniques of minimally invasive surgery.

Indications for a Breast Biopsy

The purpose of a breast biopsy is to determine the final diagnosis in the presence of abnormal masses (tumors), suspicious for cancer. The procedure involves a minimally invasive or surgical withdrawal of a small amount of tissue, followed by a thorough histological examination. Modern methods of laboratory research products obtained during breast biopsy in Israel, allow us to determine the following:

• Confirming a diagnosis of breast cancer and its histological type
• Determining whether the surgical margins of the tissue are free of tumor cells in the complete removal of the tumor process (re-assessment after the surgery or of the excisional biopsy)
• Determining tumor sensitivity to the effects of hormonal growth factors (estrogen, progesterone, and HER2). Immunological staining determines the sensitivity of breast cancer by estrogen, progesterone and epidermal growth factor (HER2). This study is essential for the proper selection of chemotherapy drugs and targeted breast cancer treatment.

The indication for a biopsy is any suspicion of a malignant tumor in the breast tissue meets international diagnostic criteria Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BIRADS).

Breast Biopsy Types

Breast surgeons at the private clinic of Herzliya Medical Center carry out all kinds of minimally invasive and surgical breast biopsies, the main ones are:

• Fine-needle aspiration biopsy – the simplest minimally invasive method of obtaining sample tissue. Ultrasound guidance (mammography or MRI) introduces a fine needle into the center of a tumor formation.
• A true-cut biopsy is carried out using a wide needle with a sharp edge
• Vacuum-assisted biopsy (mammotome) – a vacuum aspiration (extraction) of tissue mass is carried out, guided by imaging such as x-rays, MRI or ultrasound. The advantage of mammotome is to obtain one or more bulk tissue samples through one incision
• Puncture and stereotactic breast biopsy – when aspiration is not possible due to the density or anatomical location. Performed under mammographic or tomographic control
• Incisional biopsy (open biopsy) – this kind of surgical biopsy is used to obtain solid tumors, and if necessary, a sufficient amount for histological examination. During an incisional biopsy of the breast, only part of the tumor is removed. This technique was widely used prior to the development of minimally invasive techniques. Today, this technique is rarely used in Israel.
• Excisional biopsy of the breast – widely used in small, localized tumor masses located in the primary capsule. In this surgical biopsy, the tumor is removed completely. Surgeons also remove tissue surrounding the tumor in order to assess involvement in the preparation of surgical boundaries. Excisional breast biopsies are both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in non-invasive forms of cancer
• Sentinel node biopsy – a biopsy of the lymph nodes is conducted by one of the above methods (except incisional biopsy) to determine whether the mass (tumor) has spread beyond the breast tissue

Preparing for a Breast Biopsy

Typically, breast biopsies in Israel are carried out in an outpatient setting under local anesthesia. Before the procedure, you must inform your doctor about any known allergic reactions. Patients taking drugs that reduce blood clotting (anticoagulants) receive detailed recommendations on the preliminary preparation in the preoperative period. The procedure takes place under the control of the ultrasound or tomography, which accurately identifies the location of the tumor. This method guarantees that tissue samples are obtained directly from a suspicious mass. After the biopsy (except incisional or excisional surgical biopsies), the patient can be discharged within several hours.

After The Breast Biopsy Procedure

After a breast biopsy, a sterile dressing is applied, while surgical biopsies require stitches. Patients can return to normal activities within a short time (usually same day). Modern analgesics are effective in reducing pain in the procedure. Professionals at HMC provide clear guidance for the aftercare of the surgical wound, as well as prevention and treatment of edema and hematomas (bruises). Strict adherence to aseptic standards minimizes the possibility of infectious complications following a breast biopsy.

Herzliya medical center’s staff will help prepare patients before a breast biopsy; ensuring that the final histological diagnosis takes a very short period of time, allowing timely effective treatment. Modern methods of diagnosing cancer in Israel allow specialists to pinpoint tumor sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs and targeted therapies, which significantly improves the prognosis and increases the survival rate, even with progressive forms of the disease