What should I expect?
Fine needle aspiration biopsy – During the procedure, a thin needle is passed into the area of concern. A syringe attached to the needle collects a sample of cells or sometimes fluid.
Core-needle biopsy – During the procedure, a thin, hollow needle is used to remove small cores of breast tissue. One or more small clips may be placed to mark the location where the tissue was taken from. The clip is utilized to mark the lump or area should surgery be needed in the future.
Surgical biopsy – During the procedure, the physician makes a cut into the breast to remove the abnormal tissue and often some of the surrounding normal appearing tissue. If the lump cannot be felt but was seen on a previously performed mammogram or ultrasound, a localization procedure may be performed to insert a thin wire or other marker prior to your biopsy. This helps identify the suspicious area and will be removed during surgery.
The tissue or sample obtained during your biopsy will be examined in a lab using special procedures and your treating physician will receive the results which will be communicated to you and if necessary, discuss treatment options.