title: Patient perceptions of breast biopsy procedures for screen-detected lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to compare patient perceptions of 2 common image-guided breast biopsy procedures on 3 main outcomes: decision making about which procedure to undergo, its convenience, and its side effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women who had either an excisional or ultrasound-guided core needle breast biopsy in 1997 for a screen-detected lesion had telephone interviews 1 to 3 months after the biopsy. Bivariate associations were tested by using chi(2) and t test statistics. Mulitvariate analyses were used to control for effects of demographic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most women (66%) could not remember being offered a choice of procedures, and of those who did have a choice, a higher proportion had an excisional biopsy. Only 2% reported being told the cost of the biopsy procedure. Women who had an excisional biopsy compared with those who had undergone a core needle biopsy reported statistically more hours and days off from work and reported more side effects 1 to 3 days after the biopsy (P<.05). Associations between side effects and type of biopsy procedure were unchanged when adjustment was made for demographic characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women who had the ultrasound-guided needle biopsy reported significantly fewer side effects and needed less time off from work. When a suspicious lesion is noticed on a screening mammogram, it is important that women and their physicians discuss the benefits and risks of the various biopsy procedures before deciding how to proceed, allowing for informed choice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Practice, Office of Health Promotion Research, University of Vermont, Burlington, 05401-3444, USA. berta.geller@uvm.edu
authors.forename: Berta M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Geller
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Oppenheimer
authors.forename: Ruth M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mickey
authors.forename: John K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Worden
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D014707:Vermont