The number of image-guided biopsies is growing at a rate of about 3% a year, indicating that more physicians are using this less invasive alternative to surgical biopsy, according to a paper published online this week in Radiology.
A research team led by Sharon Kwan, MD, a radiology resident at the University of California, San Francisco, looked at biopsy trends from Medicare claims data from 1997 to 2008 for 10 anatomical regions. The group found that the number of biopsy procedures performed grew from 1,380 per 100,000 Medicare enrollees in 1997 to 1,945 biopsies in 2008, representing a compound annual growth rate of 3%.
In addition, 67% of biopsies were performed percutaneously, compared with 59% in 1997. At the same time, the researchers saw declines in the percentage of more invasive open biopsies and the number of percutaneous biopsies that weren't guided by imaging.
Of the 10 anatomical regions studied, percutaneous needle procedures made up the majority of biopsies for eight areas, with open biopsies used most often for superficial lymph nodes and musculoskeletal soft tissues. The researchers posited that open biopsies were more feasible for these superficial regions, where areas of concern are more likely to be palpable and less in need of imaging guidance.
Finally, the researchers found that the performance of biopsies by radiologists grew 35% to 56% during the study period, but the annual rate of growth in biopsies conducted by radiologists fell from 8% in the first half of the study to 6% in the second half. This trend could be due to the rising number of biopsies performed by physicians in other specialties.
Kwan noted that the relatively modest overall annual biopsy growth rate of 3% indicated that increased imaging utilization wasn't leading to additional workups for patients.
By Brian Casey
AuntMinnie.com staff writer
June 29, 2010
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