This randomized controlled trial compares vacuum-assisted percutaneous excision to open standard surgical excision in women who have high-risk or borderline, non-malignant breast lesions with respect to efficacy, safety, cosmesis and patient satisfaction.
In women diagnosed with high-risk or borderline, non-malignant breast lesions, is vacuum-assisted percutaneous excision (VAPE) comparable to open standard surgical excision with respect to efficacy, safety, cosmesis and patient satisfaction? With the increase in breast imaging for screening there has been corresponding rise in detection of high-risk/borderline, non-malignant breast lesions that require surgical excision to confirm diagnosis and rule out underlying malignancy. Image-guided vacuum-assisted percutaneous excision (VAPE) could offer an alternative to standard open surgical excision for complete excision of these lesions with a possible improvement in patient satisfaction and cosmetic outcomes and decreased complications. In this single-centre, non-inferiority designed prospective randomized, open label controlled trial, women over 18 years who are found to have a borderline or high-risk, non-malignant breast lesions on core needle biopsy will be considered eligible. Exclusion criteria will be women with a greater than 25% lifetime risk of breast cancer, patients whose pathology and imaging are discordant, and those with extensive calcifications extending over 2cm, a mass larger than 2 cm, or lesions with high-risk features. Informed consent will be obtained and patients will be randomized to standard surgical excision or VAPE. They will then be followed with imaging as appropriate. The primary outcome measure is the incidence of complete removal of the lesion. The secondary outcome measures are patient satisfaction, cosmetic outcomes and complications such as bleeding and infection. This trial is the first randomized controlled trial to investigate the role of VAPE compared to standard surgical excision as a means of completely excising borderline or high-risk breast, non-malignant breast lesions. The investigators hypothesize that VAPE will show comparable efficacy and may even have improved safety, cosmesis and patient satisfaction.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
90
The intervention group will undergo the vacuum assisted percutaneous excision (VAPE). All VAPE procedures will be performed on a digital supine table using the ATEC© Breast Biopsy System hand piece (Hologic) with a 9-gauge needle and a 10 or 20 mm aperture providing 6-mmHg of suction strength to completely excise the breast lesion.
The control group will undergo standard open surgical excision of the breast lesion. This will be done in the operating room using preoperative image-guided localization with radioactive seed (I-125) or in the procedure room of the Breast Care Centre if appropriate (i.e. lesion is palpable and localization is not required).
Incidence of complete removal of the breast lesion
No evidence of residual lesion at the time of excision or on follow up imaging exams and no need for further surgical re-excision for residual lesion.
Time frame: 24 months
Patient satisfaction
Patient satisfaction as assessed by the BREAST-Q questionnaire for breast conserving therapy, Version 2.0, a validated patient-reported outcome measure that quantifies health-related quality of life and patient satisfaction. It will be completed preoperatively, and at 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. There are three components being assessed: 1. Physical well-being: 10 items scored using a 3-point scale (1=none of the time, 2=some of the time, 3=all of the time). 2. Psychosocial well-being: 10 items scored using a 5-point scale (1=none of the time, 2=a little of the time, 3=some of the time, 4=most of the time, 5=all of the time). 3. Satisfaction with breasts: 4 items scored using a 4-point scale (1=very dissatisfied, 2=somewhat dissatisfied, 3=somewhat satisfied, 4=very satisfied). Each component has a raw scale summed score (the sum of all the scores for each item) that is converted into a score from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) for analysis.
Time frame: 12 months
Cosmesis
Cosmesis as assessed by the Modified Harvard-Harris Cosmetic Scale, a validated four-point scale that describes the overall aesthetic appearance of the breasts (categorical scale = excellent, good, fair or poor). It will be administered to both the patients as a self-assessment and the surgeons before the intervention and at various time points postoperatively (1 month, 6 months, and 12 months).
Time frame: 12 months
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