Breast Surgeon Reflects on Technology Reliance After Biopsy Needle Recall

Kathryn Eckert, DO, a breast surgeon at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, reflected on medicine’s reliance on technology. The breast biopsy needle shortage, tied to Hologic’s January 2026 recall of its Brevera Breast Biopsy System Disposable 9 Gauge Needle, is the latest in a series of supply disruptions, including a prior saline shortage, that Eckert says highlighted the value of diversifying medical technology. She also shared how her team works to shield patients from the behind-the-scenes effort required to keep their care on track.

To read the full discussion with Eckert and her colleague Harriet Borofsky, MD, visit: https://www.cancernetwork.com/view/half-a-year-into-the-breast-biopsy-needle-shortage-clinicians-lean-on-networks-not-workarounds

Transcript:

CancerNetwork: How should situations like a shortage be mitigated in the future?

Eckert: When things like this come up, it makes us introspect a little. As providers, we’ve been fortunate in the breast cancer field that a lot of how we approach and manage patients has changed because of technology, but I always think there’s a bit of hesitance in the back of our minds, because when we become very reliant on technology, things like this are bound to happen. There are bound to be recalls and supply chain shortages, and not that long ago there was the hurricane and the saline shortage. These things that are a bit out of our control do come up and influence how we manage patient care day to day.

While we’re all committed to being flexible and doing what we need to make sure patients get high-quality care, when something like this happens, it does make us think there may be an opportunity, from a technology perspective, for a bit more diversification, so we’re not all reliant on one technology. This isn’t an institution-specific problem. It’s a global medical problem. Moving forward, in some situations this may spur new development of technologies. It may open the door for other companies to develop similar, or even better, products than what’s out there. We always hope this will be an opportunity for positive change, and we’re just lucky that in the short term, we have the resources as an institution to keep providing high-quality care even with these external challenges. It’s a bit like a swan floating along the water: all a patient should see is the swan, but underneath, the health care providers are paddling very quickly to make sure patients don’t experience any dips or delays in care because of what’s happening in the technology space.

Reference

Disruptions in availability of breast biopsy needles: letter to health care providers. News release. FDA. June 16, 2026. Accessed July 8, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/6ej3dufn