Patient reported cosmetic outcome after vacuum assisted excision of benign breast lesions: a cross-sectional study

Vacuum-assisted excision of breast lesions in surgical de-escalation: where are we?

Vacuum-assisted excision of breast lesions has come to be widely used in clinical practice. Increased acceptance and availability of the procedure, together with the use of larger needles, has allowed the removal of a greater amount of sample, substantially reducing the surgical upgrade rate and thus increasing the reliability of the results of the procedure. These characteristics result in the potential for surgical de-escalation in selected cases and gain strength in a scenario in which the aim is to reduce costs, as well as the rates of underestimation and overtreatment, without compromising the quality of patient care. The objective of this article is to review the technical parameters and current clinical indications for performing vacuum-assisted excision of breast lesions.

Vacuum-assisted excision biopsy for definitive diagnosis of breast lesions of uncertain malignant potential (B3 lesions) on core biopsy - A single centre Western Australian experience

INTRODUCTION

In Australia, the usual approach to breast lesions where core biopsy returns an uncertain result ("B3" breast lesion) is to perform surgical diagnostic open biopsy (DOB). This is associated with patient time off work, costs of hospital admission, risks of general anaesthesia and surgical complications. The majority of B3 lesions return benign results following surgery. Vacuum assisted excision biopsy (VAEB) is a less invasive, lower cost alternative, and is standard of care for selected B3 lesions in the United Kingdom. Similar use of VAEB in Australia, could save many women unnecessary surgery. The aim of this study was to document our experience during the introduction of VAEB as an alternative to DOB for diagnosis of selected B3 lesions.

METHODS

The multidisciplinary team developed an agreed VAEB pathway for selected B3 lesions. Technically accessible papillary lesions, mucocele-like lesions and radial scars without atypia measuring ≤ 15mm were selected.

RESULTS

Over a 7 month period, 18 women with 20 B3 lesions were offered VAEB. 16 women (18 lesions) chose VAEB over DOB. Papillomas were the commonest lesion type. All lesions were successfully sampled: 17/18 were benign. One lesion (6%) was upgraded to malignancy (ductal carcinoma in situ on VAEB, invasive ductal carcinoma at surgery). No major complications occurred. Patient satisfaction was high: 15/16 respondents would again choose VAEB over surgery.

CONCLUSION

VAEB is a patient-preferred, safe, well-tolerated, lower-cost alternative to DOB for definitive diagnosis of selected B3 breast lesions.

Efficacy and safety of percutaneous ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted excision for the treatment of clinical benign breast lesions larger than 3 cm: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Breast ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted excision (US-VAE) has become a scarless solution for the removal of benign breast lesions. This procedure is now favored by more and more female patients for its satisfactory cosmetic outcome and few postoperative complications. However, controversy have been raised regarding its efficacy and safety in treating larger benign breast lesions. This study aimed to evaluate whether US-VAE is sufficient for the treatment of clinical benign breast lesions larger than 3 cm and to investigate the lesion features that affect the complete excision rate and hematoma occurrence rate.

Methods

From January 2018 to July 2021, a total of 1,812 lesions in 1,367 patients underwent US-VAE at the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital. A total of 89 benign breast lesions in 87 patients enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. The baseline clinical characteristics and ultrasonographic features of the lesions were recorded. Patients were followed up by US to record if there are any serious issues and the occurrence of hematoma and the recurrence of the lesions within 3 days and 6-12 months later, then at 1-year intervals. Lesions were classified to analyze the possible factors associated with complete excision rate and hematoma occurrence rate.

Results

The mean age was 35.9±9.5 years (range, 18-54 years), and the median maximum size of benign breast lesions was 3.5 cm (range, 3.1-5.0 cm). The complete excision rate was 91.0% (81/89). Histopathology (P=0.002) and vascularity (P=0.032) of lesions showed statistically significant differences in groups with or without recurrent lesions. A total of 17 cases (17/89, 19.1%) presented with hematoma after the procedure. The maximum lesion size in patients with hematoma was significantly larger than that in those without hematoma (P<0.001).

Conclusions

US-VAE is an effective and safe alternative method for the treatment of benign breast lesions larger than 3 cm, especially for fibroadenoma, adenosis, hamartoma. For benign phyllodes tumors and intraductal papillomas larger than 3 cm and lesions with hypervascularity, the possibility of recurrence after US-VAE should be noted. The size of lesions needs to be considered when evaluating the occurrence of hematoma after US-VAE.

Hospital costs and cosmetic outcome of benign and high-risk breast lesions managed by vacuum-assisted excision versus surgical excision

Objectives:

Although vacuum-assisted excision (VAE) is a safe and effective alternative to surgical excision (SE), the latter is most commonly used for the management of benign and high-risk breast lesions. To evaluate the healthcare benefit of VAE, hospital costs and cosmetic outcome after VAE were compared to SE. Additionally, the impact of VAE implementation on hospital costs was investigated.

Methods:

This was a single-centre retrospective cohort study with two cohorts: “VAE” and “SE”. All patients with a benign or high-risk lesion excised by VAE or SE from January 2016 up to December 2019 were included. Cosmetic outcome was measured with the BCTOS-cosmetic subscale, and hospital costs were presented as mean (SD) and median (IQR).

Results:

During the study period, 258 patients with 295 excised lesions were included. The initial procedure was VAE in 102 patients and SE in 156 patients. Hospital costs after (median € 2324) were significantly lower than before (median € 3,144) implementation of VAE (mean difference € 1,004, p < 0.001), most likely attributable to the lower costs for patients treated with VAE (mean difference € 1,979, p < 0.001). Mean cosmetic outcome was comparable between VAE (median 1.35) and SE (median 1.44, p = 0.802).

Conclusions:

Implementing VAE as an alternative treatment option for benign and high-risk breast lesions resulted in a large decrease in hospital costs but a cosmetic benefit of VAE could not be demonstrated in this retrospective study.

Advances in knowledge:

Costs associated with the complete patient pathway were included and not only VAE was compared to SE but also the before cohort was compared to the after cohort to demonstrate the benefit of VAE implementation in clinical practice. Additionally, cosmetic outcome was compared between VAE and SE using patient reported outcome measures.

Image-guided Microinvasive Percutaneous Treatment of Breast Lesions: Where Do We Stand?

Treatment of breast lesions has evolved toward the use of less-invasive or minimally invasive techniques. Minimally invasive treatments destroy focal groups of cells without surgery; hence, less anesthesia is required, better cosmetic outcomes are achieved because of minimal (if any) scarring, and recovery times are shorter. These techniques include cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, high-intensity focused US, laser therapy, vacuum-assisted excision, and irreversible electroporation. Each modality involves the use of different mechanisms and requires specific considerations for application. To date, only cryoablation and vacuum-assisted excision have received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for treatment of fibroadenomas and have been implemented as part of the treatment algorithm by the American Society of Breast Surgeons. Several clinical studies on this topic have been performed on outcomes in patients with breast cancer who were treated with these techniques. The results are promising, with more data for radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation available than for other minimally invasive methods for treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Clinical decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis, according to the availability of the technique. MRI is the most effective imaging modality for postprocedural follow-up, with the pattern of enhancement differentiating residual or recurrent disease from postprocedural changes. ^©RSNA, 2021.

Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsy System: No Innovation Without Evaluation

Background Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) has recently been gaining more popularity as a modality to reach the final diagnosis, especially in indeterminate breast lesions, resulting in a decreased number of surgical interventions and unnecessary follow-ups. Objective While our primary aim was to look into the outcomes of the VABB technique, our secondary aim was to assess the impact of the method on changes in patients' management. Patients and methods This study was a retrospective database analysis of vacuum-assisted biopsies (VABs) carried out at our breast unit during the period between January 2011 and January 2018. All our cases were image-guided; the caliber of vacuum-assisted needles used was 8 gauge (G) and 11 G. Patient demographics, lesion characteristics, and outcomes were retrieved from patients' notes and the hospital database. Results A total of 122 female patients were included in the analysis, out of whom 41.8% (51 patients) were screen-detected, and 58.1% (71 patients) were symptomatic presentations. The mean lesion size on imaging was 14.8 mm (SD: 12.6); 50% (61 patients) had stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (SVAB), and 50% (61 patients) had ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (US-VAB). Post-procedure histology was upgraded in 19.6% (24 patients), downgraded in 18.8% (23 patients), and remained unchanged in 61.4% (75 patients). Conclusion VABB is a safe and efficient procedure for the diagnosis and management of indeterminate and suspicious breast lesions. It provides an adequate amount of tissue, which can help in upgrading or downgrading histopathologically diagnosed patients, thereby decreasing the need for surgery.