Follow-up of benign results of stereotactic core breast biopsy

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to obtain long-term follow-up data on women with benign histologic results of a breast stereotactic core needle biopsy (CNB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mammography charts of 300 consecutive women who underwent prone stereotactic CNB with digital radiography were reviewed. Women with frankly malignant or suspicious histologic findings (51 patients) or a technically unsuccessful stereotactic CNB (one patient) were excluded. The remaining 248 benign core biopsies in 229 women were included in the study. RESULTS: Follow-up mammograms were obtained for 152 lesions with benign histologic results following stereotactic CNB. The mean length of follow-up after stereotactic CNB was 34.6 months. Cancer was diagnosed in six women who underwent surgical biopsies 1/2 to 30 months after benign stereotactic CNB. An initial chart review demonstrated that no follow-up data were available for 64 lesions, and information was missing for an additional seven. CONCLUSION: SCNB remains a sampling procedure that can result in false-negative histologic results. Intrinsic procedural issues were identified that could minimize the potential for missing a malignancy. Goals for patient compliance with follow-up recommendations fell short of expectations.