Breast cancer is a progressive and potentially life-threatening disease. It is characterized by the rapid and unregulated proliferation of breast cells leading to tumor formation and invasion of neighboring tissues. Physicians can use breast cancer examinations and mammograms to detect breast lumps, but they must perform further testing to determine whether lumps are benign or cancerous. A tissue biopsy---the removal of a small piece of tissue---allows doctors to identify and stage the development of a breast lump and address the possibility of breast cancer. Doctors generally choose from three types of biopsies.
Fine-Needle Aspiration
Fine-needle aspiration is the least invasive form of breast biopsy. It can help differentiate between a cyst, which is a fluid-filled lump within the breast, or a solid growth. Patients undergoing a fine-needle aspiration biopsy receive a local anesthetic to numb the area. A doctor inserts a fine needle through the skin and into the breast tissue, sometimes with guidance from an ultrasound. The doctor draws a small amount of fluid or solid tissue into the needle and then removes it. He sends the tissue to a laboratory for analysis to help identify the characteristics of the breast lump. The Steeplechase Cancer Center reports that because fine-needle aspiration takes a very small sample of tissue, patients require additional biopsies if the results of the first biopsy are abnormal.
Core Needle
A core needle biopsy is another minimally invasive biopsy procedure that uses a larger needle to collect a larger tissue sample. Patients with solid tumors may require a core needle biopsy because fine-needle aspiration biopsy of a solid tumor is difficult. Patients undergoing a core needle biopsy receive a local anesthetic to numb the breast, then the doctor inserts the biopsy needle to collect the tissue sample. The needle is removed and the tissue is sent for laboratory analysis. Because a core needle biopsy removes more tissue than a fine-needle aspiration biopsy, it provides a more accurate characterization of a breast mass.
Surgical
A doctor may perform a surgical breast biopsy during breast lump surgery. Many breast lump surgeries aim to remove the lump and affected tissue while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible. A surgical breast biopsy removes part or all of the lump as well as some neighboring tissue for analysis, reports the American Cancer Society. Analysis of the neighboring tissue allows doctors to look for invasion of tumors cells into healthy tissue, which indicates that the lump is cancerous. The analysis of the biopsy also gives doctors information about the stage of a tumor.
Patients having surgical breast biopsies usually receive local anesthesia to numb the breast, although general anesthesia is required for more extensive operations. If the lump is benign, further treatment may be unnecessary if the lump has already been removed. If the results indicate breast cancer, the patient will begin cancer treatment.
