INTACT, A GENTLER OPTION FOR BREAST BIOPSY
At the Oklahoma Breast Care Center advancements in technology for detecting breast cancer earlier are continually being made. One new advancement is in the area of breast biopsy. The Oklahoma Breast Care Center is now utilizing a new breast biopsy system called Intact Breast Lesion Escision System (formerly en-bloc). The Intact System is being received as a significant advance in the science of non-surgical breast biopsy procedures. It provides the clinician with the greatest volume of intact tissue from the target lesion, with a minimum amount of trauma and disfigurement. Dr. Larry Killebrew, Founder and Medical Director, was the first physician in the United States to adopt the Intact System into his clinical practice. He also helped develop the system which was FDA approved in January 2002. Dr. Killebrew has successfully completed over 900 patient biopsy procedures utilizing the Oklahoma Breast Care Center’s en-bloc biopsy system. In December 2002, he presented the en-bloc paper at the international breast center symposium, “Breast Imaging into the 21st Century/Futuristic Technology for Diagnosing and Curing Breast Cancer.”
“In 1996, we were the first facility in the state to perform the vacuum-assisted core needle procedure, which gave us several strips of tissue,” commented Dr. Killebrew. “At the time, it was a welcome advance in sparing open surgical biopsies. Today, we perform breast biopsies with the Intact System. The system is a significant advancement over the vacuum-assisted core procedure, sparing even more women from unnecessary open surgical biopsies. Among its many advantages, compared to the vacuum-assisted core needle approach, is the system’s ability to harvest the maximum amount of intact tissue from the target lesion, providing the pathologist with the best possible sample for review. As a result, the Intact has enabled us to more confidently acquire tissue from the suspect area and more accurately diagnose the patient’s condition with the initial biopsy. This often allows us to forgo an additional surgical procedure. We anticipate this to be the standard of care for breast biopsy procedures in the United States. The Mayo Clinic and Moffitt Cancer Center of Florida have recently adopted the Intact System in their facilities.”
Dr. Killebrew continued, “In the cases which are diagnosed as cancer, Intact has shown a greater accuracy in distinguishing between the invasive form of the disease and the stage where the cancer is still confined to the ductal system (ductal carcinoma in situ). This improvement enables us to more accurately plan the appropriate treatment for the patient. In the past, some cases have required a second open surgical biopsy procedure to definitively make the diagnosis.”
This is how the system works: the computer records the exact site of the lesion or target tissue and links to the Intact probe. Then under local anesthesia, a small incision is made in the skin, less than 1 centimeter. The probe uses radio frequency energy - an electrical current - to lightly cut through tissue, rather than cutting through it with a blade. The probe is advanced to the lesion; a basket-like net emerges, removing the mass or calcification in just 7 seconds. Women who have had the procedure have reported feeling a tingling sensation, but little or no pain.
Since the needle is vacuum assisted and heat activated, bleeding is minimal and the incision is small enough that it is closed with liquid band-aid and a small strip of surgical tape. The incision is small and scarring is also minimal unlike open surgical procedures that require general anesthesia and result in scarring of the breast.
Every year, more than a million American women have a breast biopsy after mammograms show a suspicious finding. Approximately 80% are benign and harmless. It is critical for physicians to have the best information possible to ensure that cancerous cells are detected early. Early detection leads to greater survival rates.