Technical feasibility, safety and efficacy of percutaneous imaging guided biopsies in a tertiary cancer care hospital in North Eastern India

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the technical feasibility, safety, and efficacy of percutaneous imaging-guided biopsies performed at a tertiary cancer care hospital in Northeastern India. Over 20 months, 540 patients underwent either ultrasound-guided or CT-guided biopsies for suspected malignancies across various body sites. Biopsies were performed using coaxial techniques with core needle systems, and histopathological analysis was conducted. The technical success rate was 95.7%, with minimal complications such as pneumothorax, hemothorax, and hemoptysis. Ultrasound-guided biopsies showed a sensitivity of 91.9% and CT-guided biopsies showed 91.7%, with an overall diagnostic accuracy of 94.8%. The study concludes that imaging-guided biopsies are safe, effective, and essential for accurate cancer diagnosis, especially in resource-limited settings.