Surgery-free breast biopsy now offered at TAMC

    “We found an abnormality in your mammogram.” These seven words evoke fear in anyone who has ever waited for mammogram results, or who has ever heard them spoken. Although most “abnormal mammograms” do not result in a breast cancer diagnosis, a breast biopsy must be performed in order to be certain. Until recently, this involved general anesthesia and a surgeon’s scalpel. Now, however, The Aroostook Medical Center (TAMC) has added a service, stereotactic breast biopsy, that will give Aroostook County women an option that does not include surgery and can be performed in an outpatient setting.
    Unlike traditional surgical biopsy, stereotactic breast biopsy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses only local anesthesia and allows the patient to return to normal daily activities immediately following the procedure. The procedure uses only a small, quarter-inch incision rather than making more substantial cuts to obtain a tissue sample of the abnormal area identified in the mammogram. Although some patients will still need to undergo a surgical biopsy, most patients that need a breast biopsy can have their biopsy done stereotactically.
Contributed photo
NON-SURGICAL OPTION — During a stereotactic breast biopsy, the patient lies down on a special table that has a hole in the surface. The breast is lightly compressed, with about the same or less pressure than exerted by standard mammogram paddles, to keep the breast immobilized. The biopsy probe is inserted through the small incision in the breast.
    Stereotactic breast biopsies are being performed at the J. Paul and Blanche Levesque Imaging Center on TAMC’s A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital campus by Dr. Robert Leatherman, who is board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Radiology.
    “This form of breast biopsy is ideal for many patients,” explained Dr. Leatherman, TAMC Imaging Medical Director. “This procedure offers a shorter recovery time than traditional surgical breast biopsy and allows for precise, accurate analysis with minimal discomfort and scarring.” Patients are already being accepted for the procedure, which is new for Aroostook County, just in time for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October.
    During a stereotactic breast biopsy, the patient lies down on a special table that has a hole in the surface. The breast is lightly compressed, with about the same or less pressure than exerted by standard mammogram paddles, to keep the breast immobilized. The biopsy probe is inserted through the small incision in the breast. The radiologist guides the probe to the location of the abnormality, which is shown on a detailed x-ray image. The probe is multidirectional and can collect tissue samples from multiple locations without the need to cut more incisions. The procedure typically takes about an hour to complete.
    Healthcare providers, such as Lucy Richard, WHNP, are pleased to be able to offer this service as an option for Aroostook County women.
    “Stereotactic breast biopsy is another example of the commitment of TAMC to bring state of the art treatment for their patients closer to home,” said Richard, a women’s health nurse practitioner at TAMC’s Women’s Health Center. “The service can be performed as an outpatient in the imaging center, and the results are as accurate as when a tissue sample is removed surgically. For my patients, the benefit of not having to travel over two hours one way to have this type of biopsy performed; and the fact that it is about one third of the cost of a surgical biopsy will be huge.”
    Patients such as Colleen Murphy agree. Colleen had a stereotactic biopsy at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, the same procedure that is now being offered at TAMC.
    “The procedure was relatively painless and I felt only some minor discomfort,” said Murphy. “Overall, the experience I had was no worse than what one would go through while donating blood. I am glad to hear this is now being offered locally!”
    The American Cancer Society recommends that women do breast self-examinations regularly and have a yearly mammogram starting at age 40. The earliest signs of breast cancer are often seen on a mammogram long before being felt through self-examination.
    Discovering breast cancer early can mean the difference between life and death, something that Richard is quick to remind her patients, “Anyone who finds a breast lump, experiences breast changes, or suspects that something is wrong should seek out the advice of their healthcare provider.”