Use of a self-contained vacuum-assisted biopsy system in the assessment of soft tissue tumors.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This is the first study to compare the safety and efficacy of vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) using a self-contained hand-held system compared to those of ultrasound-guided and computed tomography-guided core needle biopsy (US-CNB and CT-CNB) and to incisional biopsy (IB). METHODS: VAB was performed in an outpatient setting under local anesthesia. Safety, diagnostic accuracy, time, and cost expenditures of biopsy were compared between VAB, US-CNB, CT-CNB, and IB in 211 consecutive patients. RESULTS: VAB was applied in 78 patients, US-CNB in 51, CT-CNB in 45, and IB in 37. Patient characteristics did not differ between groups. Sample volume of VAB was 392.5 mm3 , 4062 mm 3 for IB, and 25.1 to 34.5 mm 3 for CNB, P < .001. VAB discriminated between malignant and benign lesions with the highest accuracy of 96% and determined sarcoma grading accurately in 95%. VAB and CNB had no complications vs 5% for IB. Duration of VAB was 5 ± 2 minutes, equal to US-CNB and shorter than CT-CNB and IB. Expenditures for VAB were higher than for US-CNB and lower than CT-CNB and IB. CONCLUSION: VAB is an accurate, safe, cost-effective, and time-saving outpatient diagnostic procedure for patients with soft-tissue tumors and presents a viable alternative to IB.