ATEC system for vacuum-assisted breast biopsy

Introduction

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the UK with 49,939 diagnoses in 2011 (Cancer Research UK 2014a) and 11,643 deaths recorded in the UK in 2012 (Cancer Research UK 2014b). Men can also be affected by breast cancer, to a lesser extent, with about 350 cases diagnosed in the UK in 2011 (Cancer Research UK 2014a). The 2 main types of breast cancer are invasive and non‑invasive. Invasive ductal breast cancer accounts for 75% of all breast cancers (Breast Cancer Care 2013). The most common non‑invasive type is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which accounts for 20% of breast cancers (Breast Cancer Care 2012).

The prognosis for breast cancer is greatly improved if it is detected early (Jemal et al. 2004). Both men and women are actively encouraged to check their breasts regularly and to notify their GP if there are any changes. The NHS Breast Screening Programme is a screening programme for women aged 47–73 years. Screening is done every 3 years to try to detect breast cancer early. Breast screening is usually done using a mammogram. Ultrasound is sometimes used to locate a suspicious lesion in dense breast tissue or provide more information, such as whether the lump is solid or contains liquid.

Suspicious lesions have 3 assessments (clinical, radiological and histopathological assessment) before curative surgery. After clinical and radiological assessment, suspicious lesions are always biopsied for histological assessment. Core needle biopsy is the current approach used in the NHS, where 1 sample is taken at a time, using 1 needle insertion per sample. Vacuum‑assisted breast biopsy (VABB; also known as vacuum‑assisted core biopsy or VACB) combines needle biopsy with vacuum suction to collect multiple biopsy samples. VABB can be coupled with ultrasound, stereotactic or magnetic resonance imaging techniques to guide the biopsy needle to the correct location. Tissue collected using VABB is then sent for histopathological analysis. The ability of VABB to collect multiple samples with a single needle has the potential to reduce procedure times for patients and may reduce discomfort during breast biopsy in a minimally invasive manner. In addition, it ensures that tissue samples are taken from all parts of the lesion.