title: Rates and indications for surgical breast biopsies in a community-based health system.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High rates of surgical breast biopsies in community hospitals have been reported but may misrepresent actual practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient-level data from 5,757 women who underwent breast biopsies in a large integrated health system were evaluated to determine biopsy types, rates, indications, and diagnoses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2008 and 2010, 6,047 breast biopsies were performed on 5,757 women. Surgical biopsy was the initial diagnostic procedure in 16% (n = 942) of women overall and in 6% (72 of 1,236) of women with newly diagnosed invasive breast cancer. Invasive breast cancer was diagnosed in 72 women (8%) undergoing surgical biopsy compared with 1,164 (24%) undergoing core needle biopsy (P < .001, age adjusted). Main indications for surgical biopsies included symptomatic abnormalities, technical challenges, and patient choice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical biopsy was the initial diagnostic procedure in 16% of women with breast abnormalities, comparable with rates at academic centers. Rates could be improved by more careful consideration of indications.
authors: Providence Cancer Center, Providence Health and Services Oregon, 4805 NE Glisan Street, Portland, OR 97213, USA.
authors: Laurel
authors: L
authors: Soot
authors: Providence Cancer Center, Providence Health and Services Oregon, 4805 NE Glisan Street, Portland, OR 97213, USA.
authors: Roshanthi
authors: R
authors: Weerasinghe
authors: Medical Data Research Center, Providence Health and Services Oregon, Portland, OR, USA.
authors: Lian
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Providence Cancer Center, Providence Health and Services Oregon, 4805 NE Glisan Street, Portland, OR 97213, USA; Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA. Electronic address: heidi.nelson@providence.org.
authors: Heidi D
authors: HD
authors: Nelson
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009922:Oregon; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Breast cancer diagnosis; Percutaneous core needle breast biopsy; Surgical breast biopsy