Guidelines for surgical removal of calcifications?

Page last modified on: January 4, 2010

Question from grantly: I had calcifications show up on a mammogram a year after my lumpectomy, and my surgeon went to remove them but didn't use needle-guided surgery. He removed the wrong tissue, so now I have to have ANOTHER surgery. Aren't there guidelines in place saying surgeons should always use a needle guide in order to take out calcifications found post-lumpectomy?: Answer —Kristin Brill, M.D., F.A.C.S.: For abnormalities identified only by mammogram such as calcifications, this would require needle localization to help the surgeon target and remove the appropriate area. Sometimes when the calcifications form in a lumpectomy site, it's more apparent to the surgeon because it's just under the scar and in a palpable area, so in that case the surgeon would not use needle guidance. But typically this would require needle localization.

On Tuesday, December 15, 2009, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Updates from the 2009 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Kathy Miller, M.D. and Kristin Brill, M.D., F.A.C.S. answered your questions about the latest updates on breast cancer risk, screening techniques, treatment options, and more.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Kathy D. Miller, M.D. is associate professor of medical oncology at Indiana University, and a Sheila D. Ward Scholar.

Kristin Brill, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a breast surgeon and clinical instructor at the Thomas Jefferson University Department of Surgery in Philadelphia, PA. She also maintains a practice in Cherry Hill, N.J. Dr. Brill is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. In addition, she has published breast cancer research in medical journals such as Annals of Plastic Surgery and Cancer, and she has presented research at the American Society of Clinical Oncology.