ACR offers tips for navigating the breast biopsy needle shortage
Amid a shortage of breast biopsy needles, the American College of Radiology is offering practices advice on how to ensure the supply disruption does not impact patient care.
Earlier in May, ACR voiced its concern regarding the shortage, cautioning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that if the issue is not resolved it could have “detrimental” consequences for breast imaging practices. The needles were added to the FDA’s list of device shortages in April months after a major manufacturer stopped shipments to “correct an issue” with them, ACR noted.
To help practices struggling to keep their shelves stocked, ACR shared mitigation tactics facilities can use to maintain quality care while waiting on manufacturers to catch up on orders.
The recommendations include the following:
Increase targeted ultrasound utilization prior to biopsy as appropriate.
Swap stereotactic and MRI biopsies for ultrasound-guided biopsies whenever feasible.
Temporarily opt for short-term follow-up for low suspicion lesions and reduce multisite biopsies where possible.
Consider different needle gauges and lengths when standard sizes are in short supply.
Prioritize the most serious cases, such as those involving BI-RADS 5 lesions, masses/calcifications deemed highly suspicious, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgical planning cases, and high-risk discordant lesions.
Delay scheduling for less suspicious lesions and nonurgent repeat biopsies.
Offer alternative locations for the procedure if available.
Expedite surgical consultation for cases in which delays could pose a risk to patients.
“Radiology leaders should work closely with hospital systems, referring providers and patients to coordinate safe and effective care,” ACR noted. “Due to local factors, it may not be possible for individual practices to adopt all of these recommendations.”
It is estimated that the backlogs could persist through the end of 2026.
The full list of recommendations can be viewed here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.