5 Things You Need to Know About Breast Biopsy

1. Is it Cancer?

Breast cancer is the leading cancer in American women, and most people know someone who has been touched by this disease. If a woman finds a lump in her breast or receives abnormal mammogram results, it's normal to feel a sense of urgency about getting an accurate diagnosis. Imaging tests like mammograms and ultrasound tests can show the doctor that something abnormal is present. However, only by removing some of the abnormal tissue for examination under a microscope can the doctor tell whether breast cancer is present.

2. Quick Stick

Doctors can use a type of breast biopsy called fine-needle aspiration to remove fluid from what appears to be a cyst in the breast. The doctor uses a needle attached to a syringe, not unlike what he might use if he was withdrawing blood. This procedure only takes a few minutes, and if a woman has a cyst in her breast, the fine-needle aspiration may drain it completely.

3. Scar-Free

If a mass in the breast has firm tissue that the doctor can't withdraw using a fine needle, he can engage a larger needle with a cutting edge. During this core needle biopsy, the doctor can remove multiple tissue samples during one procedure, increasing the accuracy of the biopsy readings. Although the doctor must make a small cut in the breast to take a core needle biopsy, most patients recover without a scar.

4. Finding Hidden Lumps

Doctors may use imaging machines to find breast lumps that are hard to see on the mammogram or difficult to feel in a physical exam. For example, an ultrasound-guided needle biopsy guides the needle right to an abnormal area a woman can feel in the breast, even when the lump doesn't show up on a mammogram. In a stereotactic biopsy localization, the doctor uses three dimensional X-rays to pinpoint the abnormal area while the patient lies face down on a special exam table with a hole cut out for the breast to hang through.

5. Getting the Lump Out

Sometimes, the doctor must remove a larger portion of the mass or the entire abnormal area to make a definitive diagnosis. The doctor may choose this biopsy option if the mass is too small for a needle biopsy, or if a previous needle biopsy didn't reveal enough information about the mass. Usually, a woman receives a surgical biopsy as an outpatient procedure and can return home the same day. Sometimes, a surgical biopsy also serves as a form of treatment when the doctor removes the entire lump.