A national shortage of the needles used to take tissue samples during mammogram-guided breast biopsies is now expected to last into next year, and the federal government has told hospitals to start deciding which patients get scheduled first.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration told health care providers in a formal letter that the supply of stereotactic breast biopsy needles has been interrupted because of supplier problems, and that the disruption is expected to run through the end of the first quarter of 2027. The agency said the shortfall is expected to affect patient care and "may require adjustments to the clinical management of patients" scheduled for a breast biopsy.
