• About
  • Masthead
  • License Content
  • Advertise
  • Submit Press Release
  • RSS/Email List
  • Write for us
  • Contact us
2 Minute Medicine
No Result
View All Result

No products in the cart.

SUBSCRIBE
  • Specialties
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • Wellness
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • AccountLog-in/out
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
2 Minute Medicine
  • Specialties
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • Wellness
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • AccountLog-in/out
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
SUBSCRIBE
2 Minute Medicine
Subscribe
Home Health A to Z

Patient Basics: Biopsy

byHarvard Health
November 30, 2014
in Health A to Z
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Originally published by Harvard Health.

What Is It?

A biopsy is a procedure that removes a small amount of tissue for examination in a laboratory. Biopsies are done to diagnose many diseases, especially cancer. In some cases, biopsies help to determine prognosis and appropriate treatment. There are different biopsy techniques, depending on which tissue or organ is being sampled.

  • Skin biopsy — A sample of skin tissue is removed with a scalpel or punch tool.

Biopsy

  • Fine-needle aspiration — A very thin needle is inserted into an organ. Often the procedure is accompanied by ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) scanning to make sure that the needle is in the correct location. The needle is attached to a syringe. The doctor pulls back on the plunger to suck cells from the organ into the empty syringe. The cells are spread on a slide and sent to a laboratory.
  • Core needle biopsy — A larger needle with a cutting edge is used to take a full tissue sample, rather than just sucking out cells. A core biopsy gives more information than a fine-needle biopsy.
  • Open biopsy — Requires an incision in the skin. Depending on the depth of the body part to be biopsied, the complexity of the procedure varies. For example, a biopsy of an enlarged lymph node in the neck requires only a local anesthetic and often can be done in a doctor’s office. Open biopsy of a lung or abdominal structure has to be done in an operating room under general anesthesia.

Biopsy1

  • Endoscopy procedures — An instrument attached to the end of an endoscope, such as those used in bronchoscopy or colonoscopy, is used to remove a tissue sample.

Biopsies can take as little as a minute for a simple skin biopsy or up to an hour or more for deep biopsies.

What It’s Used For

A biopsy procedure removes sample bits of tissue or cells to be checked in a laboratory for microscopic signs of cancer or other diseases. In the lab, the biopsy sample is stained and examined under the microscope. This examination can tell whether the tissue sample is normal, not cancerous (benign) or is cancerous (malignant). The laboratory examination can identify the type of cancer, and may be used to evaluate the chance that cancer has spread to other parts of the body. For some types of cancer, new laboratory techniques test biopsy samples for other features of the cells, such as genetic changes. This information can be used to make a more precise diagnosis and plan more individualized therapy.

Biopsy2

RELATED REPORTS

Fluorophores enhance visualization for image-guided surgery [PreClinical]

Patient Basics: Biopsy of the Prostate and Transrectal Ultrasound

Image-guided biopsy of indeterminate ovarian masses appears safe and effective

A biopsy also can identify the causes of inflammations and infections.

Preparation

Because there are several different types of biopsy procedures, your preparation will depend on your specific biopsy. For a skin biopsy, for example, you usually won’t need to change what you eat or drink beforehand. However, for an open biopsy that requires general anesthesia, you will need to stop eating and drinking at least several hours before the procedure. If you are scheduled for a colonoscopy and possible colon biopsy, you will take laxatives and enemas according to your doctor’s directions, and will have to modify your diet.

In general, even for a minor skin biopsy, it is helpful to remind your doctor about your allergies, your history of surgical procedures and your list of current medications, especially aspirin and blood-thinning medicines. If you are a woman and there is a possibility that you might be pregnant, tell your doctor before you have a biopsy.

How It’s Done

In a skin biopsy, the area to be biopsied is numbed with a local anesthetic and thoroughly cleaned. Then a small piece of tissue is cut away using a sterile scalpel. Finally, the small wound is stitched closed.

In a needle biopsy, the biopsy area is numbed and cleaned, and a sterile hollow needle is inserted through the skin to take the sample.

In an endoscopic biopsy, a small sharp pinching instrument (forceps) at the end of the endoscope is used to snip off and remove a small tissue sample.

In an open biopsy under general anesthesia, a sample of tissue can be cut directly from an organ that has been exposed with a surgical incision.

Follow-Up

While some biopsy results are available rather quickly, others may take a few days. Ask your doctor when to call you should call for your biopsy result.

Risks

Most small biopsy procedures are very safe and carry only a small risk of bleeding or infection at the biopsy site. For larger open biopsies, there are additional risks that accompany general anesthesia and larger surgical procedures.

When To Call A Professional

After any biopsy procedure, call your doctor if you develop a fever or if you have pain, swelling, redness, pus or bleeding at the biopsy site or at the site of the surgical wound. If you have had an open biopsy, your doctor will tell you what other signs to watch for, depending on the specific type of surgery you had.

Additional Info

National Library of Medicine (NLM)
8600 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20894
Phone: (301) 594-5983
Toll-Free: (888) FIND-NLM (346-3656)
Fax: (301) 496-4450
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/

 

Tags: biopsy
Previous Post

Patient Basics: Bone Marrow Transplant

Next Post

Patient Basics: Angioplasty

RelatedReports

Fluorophores enhance visualization for image-guided surgery [PreClinical]
Chronic Disease

Fluorophores enhance visualization for image-guided surgery [PreClinical]

January 9, 2015
Health A to Z

Patient Basics: Biopsy of the Prostate and Transrectal Ultrasound

November 30, 2014
Conservative treatment of recurrent ovarian tumors may preserve fertility
Imaging and Intervention

Image-guided biopsy of indeterminate ovarian masses appears safe and effective

September 23, 2014
Mortality risk higher in pediatric trauma patients with chronic conditions
Oncology

Surgeon-level decisions may impact needle biopsy use in breast cancer

June 15, 2014
Next Post

Patient Basics: Angioplasty

Patient Basics: Arthroscopic Surgery

Patient Basics: LASIK

License Our Award-Winning Physician-Written Medical News and Visual Abstracts

2 Minute Medicine is the leading authoritative medical news licensing service, and the only with reports written by practicing doctors.

LICENSE CONTENT

2MM+ Premium Access

No ads & unlimited access to all current reports, over 9000 searchable archived reports, visual abstracts, Weekly Rewinds, and the online edition of The Classics Series™ textbook.

Subscription Options
2 Minute Medicine

2 Minute Medicine® is an award winning, physician-run, expert medical media company. Our content is curated, written and edited by practicing health professionals who have clinical and scientific expertise in their field of reporting. Our editorial management team is comprised of highly-trained MD physicians. Join numerous brands, companies, and hospitals who trust our licensed content.

Recent Reports

  • Vitamin and mineral supplementation associated with minimal to no benefit in the primary preventing of cardiovascular disease and cancer – US Preventative Services Task Force
  • RSVpreF vaccine prevents symptomatic respiratory syncytial virus infection
  • Incidence of Kawasaki disease found to be lower during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
License Content
Terms of Use | Disclaimer
Cookie Policy
Privacy Statement (EU)
Disclaimer

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.

  • Specialties
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • Wellness
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.