Open biopsy of the breast can be carried out at a preliminary admission to ensure a prior diagnosis or during the definitive surgery to treat breast cancer. In both situations, admission and a general anaesthetic are required.
Where open biopsy is done in advance of definitive surgery, usually it is to provide a diagnosis where previous fine needle aspiration has failed. With a diagnosis, the patient is in a better position to consider the options e.g. breast conservation versus mastectomy.
There has been a trend away from open biopsy to provide a diagnosis at the time of definitive surgery on the breast. It requires rapid assessment of the frozen section specimen which carries a small but significant rate of misinterpretation. Also, the patient must be fully informed in advance of the surgical options if the specimen is benign or malignant.
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