Dr. Chagpar on the Need for Repeat Biopsy in Breast Cancer

Anees Chagpar, MD, MSc, MA, MPH, Associate Professor of Surgery (Oncology), Director, The Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven, discusses the need for repeat biopsy in patients with breast cancer.

Occasionally, after surgery, patients will present imaging findings that are suspicious for recurrence. In these cases, there is a need for repeat biopsy to confirm the diagnosis, Chagpar says. A repeat biopsy also allows for a physician to gain information about the immunohistochemical changes that have occurred in the patient's disease, which helps to guide treatment. Repeat biopsies are the research engine, Chagpar says, as more can be learned about cancers including their genomic makeup and proteomic makeup.