Why might vacuum-assisted biopsy be preferred over core needle biopsy?

• A. It leaves a smaller scar
• B. It yields more tissue and is helpful for calcifications or when a larger sample is needed
• C. It is cheaper than core biopsy in all settings
• D. It never requires imaging guidance

Answer: (B)

Vacuum-assisted biopsy is designed to retrieve a larger volume of tissue in a single insertion, and it can obtain multiple samples with suction. This makes it especially useful when the imaging shows calcifications or when a larger or more representative sample is needed to fully assess the lesion. With more tissue and the ability to sample around calcifications, the diagnostic yield is higher and there’s less chance of missing the abnormal area.

Scar size isn’t guaranteed to be smaller and can vary with technique and location, so that isn’t the main advantage. Cost isn’t universally lower in all settings, and most procedures still rely on imaging guidance to target the lesion, so that claim isn’t accurate either.