A Pilot Study of Ultrasound-guided Vacuum-assisted Excision of Breast Cancers

Vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) is a minimally invasive technique performed under local anaesthetic as an outpatient procedure by radiologists using x-ray or ultrasound guidance. It was developed in the USA in the mid 1990s and has become well established as a diagnostic test for suspected breast disease. It uses the combination of a large gauge biopsy needle and suction to allow larger pieces of tissue to be removed than can be obtained with a standard needle biopsy device. The technique is used widely for diagnostic purposes and, in some centres, for the therapeutic removal of benign breast lumps such as fibroadenomas and papillomas.