New breast cancer screening test

[GLA]

I have a breast lump which did not appear on a mammogram but was felt by a general surgeon. She stated it was not in the duct. The doctor suggested follow-up testing be done and suggested two options:  1) breast biopsy or 2) a Breast Specific Gamma Imaging test. Since the BSGI was a non-invasive procedure, I opted to have that done on March 9th.  My question is how effective is the BSGI in diagnosing breast cancer?  If no cancer is detected,  should I still opt for a biopsy?

[anonymous97]

A related discussion, BSGI is cheaper so why not cover it was started.

[SnowWoman]

This is the new thing being touted at our local hospital.  Since it is non-invasive, it can't hurt to see what kind of results you get from it.  Be sure to check that your insurance will cover this as it sounds like some plans will not.  Unfortunately, the only way to know for absolutely, for sure is to do the biopsy but if this gives you and your doctor more information to come up with an appropriate plan, then why not.

I'll be curious to hear if you do this and what your think of it.  Please, keep us updated.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear  GLA :  The technology for performing the BSGI  has been around for quite some time. Originally, the images were created with a larger camera and were not easy to interpret. The "new" smaller camera does improve the image quality. At the Cleveland Clinic, we do not use this technique as it is not approved for screening. Mammography remains the standard of care with ultrasound and MRI being used to assist in clarification of certain abnormalities. The results of these tests can help to determine whether a biopsy is indicated.