Finding a breast lump and having it biopsied can be a difficult and frightening experience. For years, the only way to have a biopsy done was to have the lump surgically removed. Today there are several options that are less invasive and can be done in a matter of minutes through out-patient procedures.
Fine Needle Aspiration
A fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy is a procedure in which a thin needle and syringe are injected into a breast lump to withdraw fluid and material for analysis. FNA is usually conducted when a breast lump can be clearly felt and is fairly close to the surface of the skin. The needle is guided to its target using ultrasound. If the material gathered in this type of biopsy is suspicious, a doctor may opt for a more-comprehensive biopsy.
Core Needle Biopsies
A core needle biopsy is a more involved procedure that provides doctors with a detailed look at a lump and surrounding breast tissue. A small incision is made in the breast and a spring-loaded needle is injected into the lump and surrounding area to take samples (usually four to six samples). A physician won't always offer local anesthetic, but you can request it. To pinpoint the location of the lumps, physicians can use a number of methods, including ultrasound, a mammography X-ray or an MRI (magnetic resonance image).
Open Surgical Biopsy
In some cases, a lump is too difficult to reach with needle biopsies and a surgical biopsy is done. This involves a procedure in which the lump and some surrounding tissue are removed from the breast for a biopsy. This is an invasive procedure that will leave a scar. The lump is removed--something that may have to be done anyway--and allows the physician to conduct a full analysis of the lump and surrounding tissue. Most women opt for the less-invasive needle biopsies but surgical biopsies are still quite common.
Tags: breast lump, lump surrounding, biopsies surgical, biopsy done, injected into
