Surgical biopsies not overused, study finds

Surgical biopsies are often used to determine the extent of a woman's breast cancer. This plays an important role in determining appropriate treatments, such as whether or not the patient will require a prescription to buy Tamoxifen. While some evidence has suggested that these procedures may be overused, a new study indicates that they are generally used appropriately.

A 2011 study appearing in a surgical journal reported that upwards of 30 percent of breast cancer patients receive surgical biopsies, which would represent an unnecessarily high number. However, a team of researchers from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital believed that this number sounded high.

To get a more accurate picture of the situation, the team examined Medicare claims made between 2004 and 2009. The results showed that anywhere from 2 to 18 percent of breast cancer patients received surgical biopsies. The researchers said the true number is probably closer to 11 percent. Either way, it is much less than the 30 percent cited in previous studies.

Most women's health agencies have said that about 10 percent of breast cancer patients should be given a surgical biopsy, the researchers said. Their findings show that the healthcare system comes pretty close to hitting this mark.