Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy is a tissue sampling technique that uses a
special instrument and imaging guidance to remove samples of breast tissue
through a single, small skin incision. This technique allows the surgeon to
remove more tissue through a single incision than is possible with a traditional
core biopsy and is a much less invasive procedure than an
open surgical biopsy.
For these reasons, vacuum-assisted breast biopsy is becoming more common as a
diagnostic tool in the management of
breast lumps and abnormalities.
A breast biopsy is a procedure in which part or all of a suspicious breast growth is removed and examined, usually for the presence of
cancer. The growth sample is suctioned out through a needle or cut out using a surgical procedure. The sample is then examined and evaluated under a microscope by a pathologist to identify non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant) tissue.
Words used to refer to the abnormal area or growth before and after diagnosis may include lump, mass, lesion, and tumor.
What is the purpose of a breast biopsy?
The basic aim of a breast biopsy is to determine whether or not a worrisome lump is cancer and, if it is cancer, what type it is. When no cancer is detected, the diagnosis of a benign or harmless lump is reassuring.
Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy is a tissue sampling technique that uses a
special instrument and imaging guidance to remove samples of breast tissue
through a single, small skin incision. This technique allows the surgeon to
remove more tissue through a single incision than is possible with a traditional
core biopsy and is a much less invasive procedure than an
open surgical biopsy.
For these reasons, vacuum-assisted breast biopsy is becoming more common as a
diagnostic tool in the management of
breast lumps and abnormalities.
What specialties of physicians and practitioners do breast biopsies?
Many physicians and healthcare practitioners can be involved in evaluating a woman for a breast biopsy.
For example, breast abnormalities during a physical examination might be noticed by a family physician, internist, gynecologist, or nurse practitioner. Women themselves are frequently the first to detect abnormalities in their breasts.
Radiologists are specialists in interpreting x-rays such as
mammograms, as well as other imaging studies. Radiologists or surgeons often perform the procedure to obtain the breast tissue sample.
Anesthesiologists (specialists in administering anesthesia and monitoring a patient's vital signs) are sometimes necessary during surgical procedures.
Pathologists are physician specialists who examine and identify under a microscope the type of cells in the samples and determine whether or not cancer is present.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer death in women in the U.S. Symptoms include a lump in the breast or underarm area, nipple pain, change in breast size or shape, an inverted nipple, nipple discharge, and breast skin changes. Treatment may involve chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biological therapy, hormone therapy, or surgery.
Fibrocystic breast condition (sometimes called fibrocystic breast disease) is characterized by lumpiness and usually discomfort in one or both breasts. The condition is very common and benign (not malignant). Fibrocystic breast condition is the most common cause of "lumpy breasts" in women. A common symptom of fibrocystic breast condition is breast pain or discomfort. There are two types of fibrocystic breast condition, cysts and fibrosis, and Hyperplasia and atypical hyperplasia of breast cells.
Breast lumps in women can have a variety of causes such as breast inflammation, infection, injuries, cancer, and non-cancerous growths. Breast lumps in women are diagnosed with physical exam, mammogram, ultrasound, MRI, and biopsy. Treatment of breast lumps in women depend on the cause.
The breast generally refers to the chest, however, more specifically, to the mammary gland. The mammary gland is a milk producing gland comprised largely of fat. Within the mammary gland is a complex network of branching ducts. The ducts exit from sac-like structures called lobules, which can produce milk in females. The darkened area around the nipple is called the areola. Common medical concerns in regard to the breast include breast lumps, breast cysts, breast cancer, and breast infections.
Male breast cancer accounts for 1% of all breast cancers, and most cases are found in men between the ages of 60 and 70. A man's risk of developing breast cancer is one in 1,000. Signs and symptoms include a firm mass located below the nipple and skin changes around the nipple, including puckering, redness or scaling, retraction and ulceration of the nipple. Treatment depends upon staging and the health of the patient.
Inflammatory breast cancer is an accelerated form of breast cancer that is not usually detected by mammogram or ultrasound. Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include pain in the breast, skin change in the breast area, bruise on the breast,sudden swelling of the breast, nipple retraction or discharge, and swelling of the lymph nodes.
Lifestyle changes, a healthy antioxidant-rich diet, exercise, and weight reduction can help reduce a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. It's important to be aware of how risk factors such as family history, lifestyle factors, breast conditions, radiation therapy, and hormonal factors may influence your chances of developing breast cancer. Mammography and breast self-examinations are crucial steps in breast cancer prevention.
As breast cancer is the most diagnosed non-skin cancer in American women, it is important to know your breast cancer risk. Risk factors include age, age at menarche, age at first live birth, history of breast abnormalities, breast biopsies, race, and history or breast cancer among first-degree relatives.
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed non-skin cancer in American
women. An estimated 213,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer
in 2006. The risk of breast cancer increases as women get older. Over the years,
researchers have identified certain characteristics, usually called risk
factors, which influence a woman's chance of getting the disease. Still, many
women who develop breast cancer have no known risk factors other than growing
older, and many women with known risk factors do not develop breast cancer.
2. What is the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool?
The Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool is a computer program that was
developed by scientists at the National Cancer Institute and the National
Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) to assist health care
providers in discussing breast cancer risk with their female patients. The tool
allows a hea...
Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy is a tissue sampling technique that uses a
special instrument and imaging guidance to remove samples of breast tissue
through a single, small skin incision. This technique allows the surgeon to
remove more tissue through a single incision than is possible with a traditional
core biopsy and is a much less invasive procedure than an
open surgical biopsy.
For these reasons, vacuum-assisted breast biopsy is becoming more common as a
diagnostic tool in the management of
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