What is Breast Biopsy?
Breast biopsy involves getting a sample of breast tissue to
determine if it is cancerous or non-cancerous, also known
benign. The different types of breast biopsy include the
Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB); the Open Surgical
Biopsy, which can be excisional or incisional; the
Vacuum-Assisted Biopsy (Mammotome or MIBB); the Core Needle
Biopsy; and finally, the Large Core Biopsy (ABBI).
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Effects of Breast Biopsy
A breast biopsy would determine the patient’s diagnosis
regarding breast cancer. This procedure gives patients a
chance to closely monitor their breasts at regular
intervals. If the biopsy reveals cancer, the patient can
also begin searching for treatment options.
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Candidates for Breast Biopsy
Patients with a suspicious breast growth or other symptoms
of breast cancer should opt for a breast biopsy. Not all
may know that even though 99% of breast cancers occur in
females, males can and do get breast cancer also. That
said, men should also watch out for irregular growths or
other cancer symptoms found in their breast area.
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Your
Consultation
During your consultation, ask your doctor everything you
want to know about the procedure. Ask about your use of
medication like aspirin and blood thinners and how you
should take it after the decision to have a biopsy is made.
You will be asked to sign an informed consent form saying
that everything about the biopsy has been explained to you.
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The Breast Biopsy
Procedure
Breast biopsy includes taking a couple of tissue samples
from the suspicious area and having to look at it through a
microscope. Biopsies can be done using a needle or through
surgery to remove part or all of the tumor.
Breast biopsy is often done on an outpatient basis. Before
the biopsy, you will be given some local anesthesia that
will keep you awake during the procedure. Other patients
also prefer to have a sedative in their IVs to take away any
anxiety or nervousness they may feel during the biopsy. The
biopsy usually takes an hour to complete. The sedative can
wear off quickly or may take a few hours. Somebody should
accompany the patient home after the biopsy.
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Recovery
For a breast biopsy, post-operative pain is quite minimal
and resolves within a few days. Patients will be prescribed
medicine for the pain. Most patients can go back doing
their normal activities a day after the biopsy. Sponge
baths may be taken for the meantime, making sure that the
stitches are kept dry to prevent any infection. The
incision made for the biopsy should completely heal within a
month. The stitches will dissolve or will be removed from 7
to 10 days later at the doctor's office. Heavy lifting
should be avoided for 1 to 2 weeks after the biopsy.
Strenuous activity should be avoided for 2 or 3 weeks after
the biopsy to prevent bleeding.
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Risks
Breast biopsy is minimally invasive and risks, although
low, still exist. Some risks include bruising, infections,
hematoma and scarring. These risks do occur, but they do
resolve after a while with the proper medical attention.
Side effects of the biopsy vary with every patient.
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Frequently Asked
Questions
Q: Why
would one opt for a breast biopsy?
A:
Breast biopsy helps determine whether any lumps or
suspicious growths in the breasts are cancerous or benign.
If negative, it can give patients relief and a way to check
circumstances like these in the future. If it is cancerous,
it gives patients a chance to look for the proper way to
treat it.
Q:
What is an open excisional biopsy?
A:
The open excisional biopsy is a procedure done under local
anesthesia. The area is numbed with a local anesthetic and
a sedative is administered upon patient’s decision. The
surgeon makes a 1 to 2 inches incision as close as possible
to the lump found. The surgeon removes a piece of tissue to
be checked in the laboratory and then the incision is
sutured. The biopsy takes about an hour to complete.
Q:
What is a fine needle aspiration biopsy?
A:
Fine needle aspiration biopsy or FNAB involves drawing out a
few cells and/or fluid from a lump through a thin needle, a
needle which is smaller than those used for blood tests.
The needle is guided to the area of the breast change while
the doctor is feeling or palpating the lump in question. FNAB
is the least invasive type of biopsy, but in some cases, it
cannot give an answer as to whether the tissue is cancerous.
The doctor performing the FNAB can either be a pathologist,
a radiologist or a surgeon.
Q: What
is a core needle biopsy?
A:
Core needle biopsy or CNB is similar to FNAB. In this
biopsy, a slightly larger, hollow “core” needle with a
special cutting edge is used to withdraw small cylinders or
cores of tissue from the abnormal area of the breast. This
type of biopsy is usually done with local anesthesia, where
the patient is awake during the procedure but the breast is
numb. The needle is inserted three to six times to get the
samples. Compared to FNAB, CNB is more invasive and takes
more time to finish, although it is more likely to give a
definite result. The CNB can leave bruises, but it usually
does not leave internal or external scars.
Q: What
is a stereotactic needle biopsy?
A:
The stereotactic needle biopsy procedure uses a computer to
analyze information from mammograms. The computer basically
determines exactly where in the abnormal area to place the
needle tip. This procedure is often used to biopsy micro
calcifications or calcium deposits.
Q: Is it
possible for a biopsy to have false positive/false negative
results?
A:
Yes. Such results can be caused by technical problems with
the biopsy equipment; not getting the correct sample; the
method of biopsy done was not suitable for the lesion(s)
present.
Q: What
would my breast look like after a biopsy?
A:
The incision from the breast biopsy leaves a small scar that
fades in time. Breast appearance may change depending on
the size of the lesion or the lump removed from the breast.
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