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A biopsy is a test for cancer. The only certain way to learn if your breast lump or abnormality seen in a mammogram is cancerous is to remove part or all of the suspicious tissue and to examine it under a microscope. A pathologist will determine if the tissue is benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
If the tissue is malignant, the pathologist will try to determine the type of cancer cells, how fast they reproduce, and whether the growth is affected by hormones that your body produces.
All of this information allows you and your health care provider to pick the best treatment for you. There are several different needle and surgical biopsy procedures.
Caption: The dot line shows where the biopsy will take place.
A biopsy is a diagnostic test to detect and determine important information about your possible cancer. Whenever possible, the surgeon tries to remove all of the malignant breast tissue during a biopsy. Laboratory tests are conducted on the removed tissue to determine whether this was successful.
If all of the malignant breast tissue is removed, the procedure is also called a lumpectomy. Lumpectomy begins the treatment of any malignant tissue in the breast.
Caption:
Only the cancerous lump itself and a thin margin of outside tissue is removed.
Today, you have more options. Usually, a biopsy and treatment are separated by several days or weeks. Such a two-step procedure does not adversely affect your recovery, and it does provide several benefits. It allows more time for testing and diagnosis. You can review your treatment options, seek a second opinion, consult family and friends, receive counseling, and arrange your schedule. Each case is different, and you should choose the treatment that is personally right for you.
Under rare circumstances, a one-step procedure is still recommended today , particularly for women who are ill or frail, or have unusual results from their needle biopsy. In the one-step procedure, some or all of your suspicious tissue is removed and examined (while you are still under anesthesia). This technique is called a frozen section and it provides basic information about whether there is cancer. If your examined tissue is found to be cancerous, then further surgery is done immediately. This procedure is seldom recommended today.
A surgical biopsy usually takes about an hour and is performed on an outpatient basis in a clinic or hospital. Lab test results may take from 2 to 7 days.
Is a surgical biopsy painful?
The surgeon will use a local anesthetic, often with a mild sedative. Post-operative pain is usually minimal after surgery, and goes away in a few days.
How long does it take to recover from a biopsy?
You can begin non-strenuous work the day after a biopsy. You will be advised not to lift heavy things for 1 to 2 weeks. Your incision should heal completely within 1 month.
What will my breast look like after the biopsy?
When a small lump is removed, there is a good chance your breast will look normal but have a slight scar when it has healed. Larger lumps or complications may leave a more noticeable incision scar and perhaps an indentation. Sometimes there is firmness under the incision that can
take several months to heal.
He said, well, I'm going to remove that, do a biopsy. So on the operation table, I'm still awake, they don't numb me, the whole body, just locally because small cut. Then I said "Where did you take it out? Is it all done?" He said, "No, I didn't take it out." I said, "Why not?" He said, "Well, it's too big, but I cut a slice off and I sent it to the lab." So they call freezing something. And he said "We will hear from the lab soon." So five minutes later the lab called and he talked to them on the phone, and he hung up the phone said I'm going to -- well, he finished sewing me up already, because he sent a piece to the lab. He said "Let's go out and talk to your husband." "Oh," I said, "fine." I thought, you know, nothing. So he didn't dare to tell me because he didn't know how I would react. He thought maybe I was afraid of something, but I'm laying there anyway. So he wanted to talk to my husband, tell me husband the news and then my husband came up to me. He said, "Lily, you got cancer." I said, "What? I can't believe it." It just come out of some blue. I wasn't sick, I didn't feel anything. No pain, nothing.
When I had the biopsy, the discovery was that the lump was two and one-half centimeters. At that point, there was some doubt as to whether or not there was lymph node involvement. So of course, the next surgery was to excise the remainder of the lump. Pull out the lymph nodes and make a determination of whether or not they were positive. And unfortunately, there were positive lymph nodes.
I asked him "Will this hurt?" and he said, "Oh no, it'll just be like a mosquito bite." They always say that and I don't know why. And it didn't hurt. He didn't put the needle in very far. I think this cancer was right close to the surface.
They did a needle localization and a biopsy. It was so deep, they had to do a needle localization which is they put the needle, but they had to, found on the mammogram. I tried touching and finding, but it was very deep, very small. It was, I guess, a particularly aggressive type. It was growing fast, but it was very small at this stage.
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In 1989, I had my last mammography. I started having mid-life menopause, pre-menopause symptoms. I had some abnormal bleeding and heavy bleeding. I allowed a doctor to put me on progesterone treatment only. Within twelve months, I had a 2.5 centimeter tumor, and I was diagnosed using fine needle aspiration.
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Not long ago, most women undergoing surgery for breast symptoms had a one-step procedure: If the biopsy showed cancer, the surgeon immediately proceeded with a mastectomy. You would wake up after the surgery not knowing if your breasts were intact. up to Contents of this Page
How long does a biopsy take?up to Contents of this Page
Lily's Experience
Linda's Experience
Lucille's Experience
Colleen's Experience
Virginia's Experience
