Study: Biopsys’ Device Better at Detecting Abnormalities

Biopsys Medical Inc.’s breast biopsy device proved three times more accurate than the most common nonsurgical biopsy in detecting tiny abnormalities in the breast, a new study showed.

Unlike widely used “core needle biopsies,” which require multiple incisions to remove enough tissue for diagnosis, the Biopsys device, known as the Mammotone, requires just one insertion. The procedure represents a 40% cost savings over traditional surgical biopsy, researchers said, though it does cost slightly more than core needle biopsy.

“Mammotomy gives us a quantum leap in accuracy compared to core needle biopsy with only a small increase in cost,” said Dr. Roger Jackman, a radiologist at Palo Alto Medical Clinic in California.

Researchers found that the Mammotone was more likely to detect abnormalities that could be signs of cancer, reducing the need to do a surgical biopsy to confirm the results. The study was presented Monday at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual scientific meeting in Chicago.

Biopsys stock fell 75 cents to close at $23 per share.

The company’s Mammotone device was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for U.S. sales in 1995. U.S. Surgical Corp. makes a similar, less invasive, biopsy device known as the ABBI system.