Breast conservation surgery (BCS) is the standard of care for treating patients with early-stage breast cancer and those with locally advanced breast cancer who achieve an excellent response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The radiologist is responsible for accurately localizing nonpalpable lesions to facilitate successful BCS. In this article, we present a practical modality-based guide on approaching challenging pre-operative localizations and incorporate examples of challenging localizations performed under sonographic, mammographic, and MRI guidance, as well as under multiple modalities. Aspects of preprocedure planning, modality selection, patient communication, and procedural and positional techniques are highlighted. Clip and device migration is also considered. Further, an overview is provided of the most widely used wire and nonwire localization devices in the United States. Accurate pre-operative localization of breast lesions is essential to achieve successful surgical outcomes. Certain modality-based techniques can be adopted to successfully complete challenging cases.
Keywords: breast conservation surgery; breast surgery; image-guided preoperative breast localization; nonwire localization device; wire localization.