A biopsy is a sample of tissue taken from the body in order to examine it more closely.

A doctor should recommend a biopsy when an initial test suggests an area of tissue in the body isn't normal. Doctors may call an area of abnormal tissue a lesion, a tumor, or a mass. These are general words, used to emphasize the unknown nature of the tissue. The suspicious area may be noticed during a physical examination or inside the body on an imaging test. Recommended Related to Cancer Introduction The PDQ supportive and palliative care information summaries provide descriptions of the pathophysiology and treatment of common physical and psychosocial complications of cancer and its treatment, including complications such as pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and nausea and vomiting. Each PDQ health professional summary generally includes an overview; information about etiology, assessment, and management; and citations to published literature. The supportive and palliative care of cancer... Read the Introduction article > > Why Are Biopsies Done?

Bone biopsy. A bone biopsy is used to look for cancer of the bones. This may be performed via the CT scan technique or by an orthopedic surgeon. Bone marrow biopsy. A large needle is used to enter the pelvis bone to collect bone marrow. This detects blood diseases such as leukemia or lymphoma. Liver biopsy. A needle is injected into the liver through the skin on the belly, capturing liver tissue. Kidney biopsy. Similar to a liver biopsy, a needle is injected through the skin on the back, into the kidney. Aspiration biopsy. A needle withdraws material out of a mass. This simple procedure is also called fine-needle aspiration. Prostate biopsy. Multiple needle biopsies are taken at one time from the prostate gland. To reach the prostate, a probe is inserted into the rectum. Skin biopsy. A punch biopsy is the main biopsy method. It uses a circular blade to get a cylindrical sample of skin tissue. Surgical biopsy. Either open or laparoscopic surgery may be necessary to obtain a biopsy of hard-to-reach tissue. Either a piece of tissue or the whole lump of tissue may be removed. What to Expect From Your Biopsy

Biopsies are most often done to look forcancer. But biopsies can help identify many other conditions. A biopsy might be recommended whenever there is an important medical question the biopsy could help answer. Here are just a few examples:

Biopsies vary greatly according to how difficult the tissue is to obtain. The medical term for this is "invasiveness." A minimally invasive biopsy (for example, most skin biopsies) may be done in the doctor's office during the same visit the lesion is discovered. A small injection of numbing medicine can make the procedure almost painless. More invasive biopsies may be done in a hospital, a surgery center, or a specialized doctor's office. You would make a separate appointment for the biopsy. In most cases, sedating and pain relief medicines are given, reducing any discomfort. You likely won't be able to drive after receiving these medicines. You may feel sore at the area of the biopsy for a few days. Your doctor can prescribe appropriate pain relief medicines if you have significant pain from the biopsy. What Happens After the Biopsy? After the tissue is collected and preserved, it's delivered to a pathologist. Pathologists are doctors who specialize in diagnosing conditions based on tissue samples and other tests. (In some cases, the doctor collecting the sample can diagnose the condition.) A pathologist examines the biopsy tissue under a microscope. By noting the tissue cells' type, shape, and internal activity, in most cases a pathologist can diagnose the problem. The time it takes to get results from a biopsy can vary. During a surgery, a pathologist may read a biopsy and report back to a surgeon in a few minutes. Final, highly accurate conclusions on biopsies often take a week or longer. You will probably follow up with your regular doctor to discuss the biopsy results. A biopsy is a procedure to remove a piece of tissue or a sample of cells from your body so that it can be analyzed in a laboratory. If you're experiencing certain signs and symptoms or if your doctor has

A mammogram shows a lump or mass, indicating the possibility of breast cancer. A mole on the skin has changed shape recently and melanoma is possible. A person has chronic hepatitis and it's important to know if cirrhosis is present. In some cases, a biopsy of normal-appearing tissue may be done. This can help check for cancer spread or rejection of a transplanted organ. In most cases, a biopsy is done to diagnose a problem or to help determine the best therapy option. Types of Biopsies There are many different kinds of biopsies. Nearly all of them involve using a sharp tool to remove a small amount of tissue. If the biopsy will be on the skin or other sensitive area, numbing medicine is applied first. Here are some types of biopsies:

Needle biopsy. Most biopsies are needle biopsies, meaning a needle is used to access the suspicious tissue. CT-guided biopsy. A person rests in a CT-scanner; the scanner's images help doctors determine the exact position of the needle in the targeted tissue. Ultrasound-guided biopsy. An ultrasound scanner helps a doctor direct the needle into the lesion.

identified an area of concern, you may undergo a biopsy to determine whether you have cancer or some other condition.

Colonoscopy exam During endoscopy, your doctor uses a thin, flexible tube with a light on the end to see structures inside your body. Special tools are passed through the tube to take a small sample of tissue to be analyzed.

While imaging tests, such as X-rays, are helpful in detecting masses or areas of abnormality, they alone can't differentiate cancerous cells from noncancerous cells. For the majority of cancers, the only way to make a definitive diagnosis is to use a biopsy to collect cells for closer examination.

Here's a look at the various types of biopsy procedures used to diagnose cancer.

What type of endoscopic biopsy you undergo depends on where the suspicious area is located. Tubes used in an endoscopic biopsy can be inserted through your mouth, rectum, urinary tract or a small incision in your skin. Examples of endoscopic biopsy procedures include cytoscopy to collect tissue from the inside of your bladder, bronchoscopy to get tissue from inside your lung and colonoscopy to collect tissue from inside your colon.

Bone marrow biopsy Depending on the type of endoscopic biopsy you undergo, you may receive a sedative or anesthetic before the procedure. Illustration showing a needle suctioning out liquid bone marrow from the hipbone Bone marrow biopsy Your doctor may recommend a bone marrow biopsy if an abnormality is detected in your blood or if your doctor suspects cancer has traveled to your bone marrow. Bone marrow is the spongy material inside some of your larger bones where blood cells are produced. Analyzing a sample of bone marrow may reveal what's causing your blood problem. Needle biopsy

Illustration of needle biopsy of thyroid cancer Needle biopsy Illustration of core needle biopsy for breast cancer Core needle biopsy

During a bone marrow biopsy, your doctor draws a sample of bone marrow out of the back of your hipbone using a long needle. In some cases, your doctor may biopsy marrow from other bones in your body. Bone marrow biopsy is commonly used to diagnose a variety of blood problems both noncancerous and cancerous, including blood cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. You receive a local anesthetic before a bone marrow biopsy in order to minimize discomfort during the procedure.

Illustration of image-guided needle biopsy of prostate Image-guided needle biopsy Illustration of a liver biopsy Liver biopsy During a needle biopsy, your doctor uses a special needle to extract cells from a suspicious area. A needle biopsy is often used on tumors that your doctor can feel through your skin, such as suspicious breast lumps and enlarged lymph nodes. When combined with an imaging procedure, such as X-ray, needle biopsy can be used to collect cells from a suspicious area that can't be felt through the skin.

Endoscopic biopsy

Illustration showing endoscopy Endoscopy Illustration of cystoscopy being performed on a man Male cystoscopy Illustration showing colonoscopy exam Fine-needle aspiration. During fine-needle aspiration, a long, thin needle is inserted into the suspicious area. A syringe is used to draw out fluid and cells for analysis. Needle biopsy procedures include:

Core needle biopsy. A larger needle with a cutting tip is used during core needle biopsy to draw a column of tissue out of a suspicious area. Vacuum-assisted biopsy. During vacuum-assisted biopsy, a suction device increases the amount of fluid and cells that is extracted through the needle. This can reduce the number of times the needle must be inserted to collect an adequate sample. Image-guided biopsy. Image-guided biopsy combines an imaging procedure, such as X-ray, computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound, with a needle biopsy. Imageguided biopsy allows your doctor to access suspicious areas that can't be felt through the skin, such as abnormalities on the liver, lung or prostate. Using real-time images, your doctor can make sure the needle reaches the correct spot. You'll receive a local anesthetic to numb the area being biopsied in order to minimize the pain. Biopsy: Types of biopsy procedures used to diagnose cancer

You receive a local anesthetic to numb the biopsy site before the procedure.

Surgical biopsy

If the cells in question can't be accessed with other biopsy procedures or if other biopsy results have been inconclusive, your doctor may recommend a surgical biopsy. During a surgical biopsy, a surgeon makes an incision in your skin to access the suspicious area of cells. Examples of surgical biopsy procedures include surgery to remove a breast lump for a possible breast cancer diagnosis and surgery to remove a lymph node for a possible lymphoma diagnosis.

Surgical biopsy procedures can be used to remove part of an abnormal area of cells (incisional biopsy). Or surgical biopsy may be used to remove an entire area of abnormal cells (excisional biopsy).

Skin biopsy You may receive local anesthetics to numb the area of the biopsy. Some surgical biopsy procedures require general anesthetics to make you unconscious during the procedure. You may also be required to stay in the hospital for observation after the procedure.

Illustration showing punch biopsy of the skin Punch biopsy Illustration showing shave biopsy of the skin

Biopsy analysis and results Shave biopsy Illustration showing excisional biopsy of the skin Excisional biopsy A skin (cutaneous) biopsy removes cells from the surface of your body. A skin biopsy is used most often to diagnose skin conditions, including cancers, such as melanoma. What type of skin biopsy you undergo will depend on the type of cancer suspected and the extent of the suspicious cells. Skin biopsy procedures include: After your doctor obtains a tissue sample, it's sent to a laboratory for analysis. The sample may be chemically treated or frozen and sliced into very thin sections. The sections are placed on glass slides, stained to enhance contrast, and studied under a microscope.

The results help your doctor determine whether the cells are cancerous. If the cells are cancerous, the biopsy results can tell your doctor where the cancer originated the type of cancer.

Shave biopsy. During a shave biopsy, the doctor uses a tool similar to a razor to scrape the surface of your skin. Punch biopsy. During a punch biopsy, the doctor uses a circular tool to remove a small section of your skin's deeper layers. Incisional biopsy. During an incisional biopsy, the doctor uses a scalpel to remove a small area of skin. Whether you receive stitches to close the biopsy site depends on the amount of skin removed. Excisional biopsy. During an excisional biopsy, the doctor removes an entire lump or an entire area of abnormal skin. You'll likely receive stitches to close the biopsy site. A biopsy also helps your doctor determine how aggressive your cancer is the cancer's grade. The grade is sometimes expressed as a number on a scale of 1 to 4, and is determined by how cancer cells look under the microscope. Grade 1, or low-grade, cancers are generally the least aggressive and grade 4, or high-grade, cancers, generally the most aggressive. This information may help guide treatment options. Other special tests on the cancer cells also can help to guide treatment choices.

In certain cases, such as during surgery, a pathologist examines the sample of cells immediately and results are available to your surgeon within minutes. But in most cases, the results of your biopsy are available in one or two days. Some samples may need more time to be analyzed. Ask your doctor how long to expect to wait for your biopsy results