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What is a Biopsy?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

A biopsy is a sample of tissue from a living organism which is used as a diagnostic tool. Biopsies are carried out to identify various diseases, or to eliminate certain causes for symptoms. There are a number of ways in which a doctor can collect a biopsy, and an assortment of techniques can be used to analyze the resulting sample. If you have been scheduled for this procedure, you may want to talk to your doctor about the specific technique which will be used to collect the sample.

When a patient complains of a medical problem, a doctor uses an assortment of techniques to diagnose the problem. Most doctors try to start with non-invasive procedures before they turn to taking tissue samples. A biopsy may be needed when other diagnostic tools reveal no obvious problem, or when a scan of the patient's body shows that there is an area of irregularity which may require a closer look.

A surgical biopsy may be conducted to remove questionable moles.
A surgical biopsy may be conducted to remove questionable moles.

The most basic sample can be taken with a scraping. A doctor would rub a swab on a patient's skin, for example, to grab a sample so the cause of a skin condition could be determined. Biopsies can also be taken with large-bore needles which basically remove a core sample, and in some cases graspers or forceps are used inside the body, with the assistance of endoscopic tools to help the doctor see. The procedure can also be done using surgical techniques, in which a small section of the area of interest is cut out.

A pathologist will look at a biospsy under a microscope.
A pathologist will look at a biospsy under a microscope.

A surgical biopsy can also be a useful tool when it is clear that the problem may be caused by a malignancy. This procedure can be used to remove questionable moles or lymph nodes near a cancerous region in their entirety, reducing the risk that the problem might spread. When a pathologist examines the sample, he or she can determine whether or not it was malignant, and whether or not the surgeon needs to remove more material for the patient's safety.

A biopsy may be conducted on a mole to see if it is cancerous.
A biopsy may be conducted on a mole to see if it is cancerous.

A pathologist can look at the sample under a microscope for obvious signs of irregularity, or use chemical testing methods to check for less obvious conditions. Once the pathologist has studied the sample, he or she sends the results to the physician who requested the procedure, along with recommendations for treatment which the physician may consider in a treatment plan. In the case of a malignancy, the results will also state the biopsy either had “positive margins,” meaning that the doctor needs to remove more tissue, or “negative margins,” which indicate that the entire malignancy was removed.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a TheHealthBoard researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a TheHealthBoard researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

kdkelley100

I had only two moles, one on my neck and one on my right side. I had both removed in January due to my concern of the look of the one on my neck. They both turned out to be precancerous. What are the chances of them growing back and what is the likelihood of me developing cancer from this?

pharmchick78

@EarlyForest -- There are a couple of different ways that a breast biopsy is done.

The most common type of biopsy is a fine-needle aspiration biopsy. When you go in for a fine-needle biopsy, you lay on a procedure table and the doctor inserts a thin biopsy needle attached to a syringe into the breast.

By using the syringe, the doctor can see if the mass is a liquid-filled cyst, or if it is a solid mass. This can help the doctor determine the course of treatment.

Other types of breast biopsies include stereotactic breast biopsies, in which a small incision is made into the breast and a tissue sample taken, and a surgical breast biopsy, during which a portion of the mass is surgically removed.

However, the fine-needle biopsy is most common for this type of procedure, so that's probably what you should expect.

EarlyForest

What should I expect from a breast biopsy? I had the signs of a lump on my last mammogram and my doctor said they want to take a biopsy.

What is the procedure for these things?

anon76211

I asked what a biopsy is and received an answer that was, in my opinion, stated in words that were not complicated and easy to understand.

Thank you.

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    • A surgical biopsy may be conducted to remove questionable moles.
      By: bertys30
      A surgical biopsy may be conducted to remove questionable moles.
    • A pathologist will look at a biospsy under a microscope.
      By: WavebreakMediaMicro
      A pathologist will look at a biospsy under a microscope.
    • A biopsy may be conducted on a mole to see if it is cancerous.
      By: F.C.G.
      A biopsy may be conducted on a mole to see if it is cancerous.
    • A biopsy removes questionable tissue in order to have it analyzed by a pathologist.
      By: kasto
      A biopsy removes questionable tissue in order to have it analyzed by a pathologist.
    • Forceps may be used during a biopsy.
      By: Alena Kovalenko
      Forceps may be used during a biopsy.