FAQs on Biopsy

What Is Biopsy?

Biopsy is an invasive procedure where a few bits of tissue are removed from an organ with the help of a biopsy needle.

Why Biopsy Is Required?

Biopsy gives us the tissue bits from concerned organ/body area. These can be studied under a microscope by a pathologist to confirm or rule out presence of cancer.

How a Biopsy of the Breast Lump Is Done?

Biopsy of the breast lump is done with the help of a core needle. This needle is usually 14G or 16G in size. This needle is mounted on a spring loaded gun which drives the needle into breast lump and pulls it back.

How a Biopsy of the Stomach Tumor Done?

Biopsy for suspected stomach cancer is done with the help of endoscopy.

Is Undergoing a Biopsy Painful?

Biopsy is done under a local anesthesia. Hence it is not a painful procedure.

When Biopsy Is Not Required?

When tumor is arising in the following organs, and appears to be operable, a biopsy is not recommended in usual circumstances.

Liver
Biliary tract
Pancreas
Kidney
Early stage ovarian cancer
Small retroperitoneal and mediastinal tumors
Small soft tissue tumors in the limbs or in the trunk

Is Biopsy Always Necessary?

Based on patients’ age, symptoms, clinical findings supported by CT/MRI/PET scans an oncologist can diagnose the presence of cancer with reasonable certainty. However, the gold standard for diagnosing a cancer is considered to be a biopsy. Hence ,to start a cancer directed treatment a diagnosis based on biopsy is required.

A biopsy is not mandatory for surgical treatment of cancers arising in certain areas. This is considering the procedural complexity to obtain a biopsy from such areas , risks of complications , risk of tumor spillage, risk of false negative results. In such scenarios, usually, other noninvasive diagnostic modalities like CT/MRI/PET scans have very good diagnostic yield.