
A breast biopsy is a way to evaluate a suspicious area in your breast to determine whether it is breast cancer. There are several types of breast biopsy procedures.
A breast biopsy provides a sample of tissue that doctors use to identify and diagnose abnormalities in the cells that make up breast lumps, other unusual breast changes, or suspicious or concerning findings on a mammogram or ultrasound. The lab report from the breast biopsy can help determine whether you need additional surgery or other treatment.
Your health care provider may recommend a breast biopsy if:
Risks associated with a breast biopsy include:
Contact your health care provider if you develop a fever, if the biopsy site becomes red or warm, or if you have unusual drainage from the biopsy site. These can be signs of an infection that may require prompt treatment.
Before the breast biopsy, tell your health care provider if you:
If your biopsy will be done using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), tell your health care provider if you have a cardiac pacemaker or other electronic device implanted in your body or if you're pregnant or think you may be pregnant. An MRI generally isn't recommended under these circumstances.
Wear a bra to your appointment. Your health care team may place a cold pack against the biopsy site after the procedure, and the bra can hold the cold pack in place and provide support for your breast.
What you can expect
Several breast biopsy procedures are used to obtain a tissue sample from the breast. Your health care provider may recommend a particular procedure based on the size, location and other characteristics of the breast abnormality. If it's not clear why you're having one type of biopsy instead of another, ask your health care provider to explain.
For many biopsies, you'll get an injection to numb the area of the breast to be biopsied.
Types of breast biopsy include:
At the time of the breast biopsy procedures noted above, a tiny stainless steel marker or clip may be placed in your breast at the biopsy site. This is done so that if your biopsy shows cancer cells or precancerous cells, your surgeon can locate the biopsy area to remove more breast tissue surgically (known as the surgical biopsy).
After a breast biopsy
With all types of breast biopsy except a surgical biopsy, you'll go home with only bandages and an ice pack over the biopsy site. Although you should take it easy for the rest of the day, you'll be able to resume your normal activities within a day. Bruising is common after core needle biopsy procedures. To ease pain and discomfort after a breast biopsy, you may take a nonaspirin pain reliever containing acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and apply a cold pack as needed to reduce swelling.
If you have a surgical biopsy, you'll likely have stitches (sutures) to care for. You will go home the same day of your procedure and you can resume usual activities the next day. Your health care team will tell you how to protect your stitches.
Results
It may be several days before the results of a core needle biopsy are available. After the biopsy procedure, your breast tissue is sent to a lab, where a health care provider who specializes in analyzing blood and body tissue (pathologist) examines the sample using a microscope and special procedures.
The pathologist prepares a pathology report that is sent to your doctor, who will share the results with you. The pathology report includes details about the size and consistency of the tissue samples, the location of the biopsy site, and whether cancer, noncancerous (benign) changes or precancerous cells were present.
If your breast biopsy reveals normal results or benign breast changes, your health care provider will need to see if the radiologist and pathologist agree on the findings. Sometimes the opinions of these two experts differ. For instance, your radiologist may find that your mammogram results suggest a more-suspicious lesion such as breast cancer or precancerous lesion, but your pathology report reveals normal breast tissue. In this case, you may need more surgery to obtain more tissue to further evaluate the area.
If your pathology report says that breast cancer is present, it will include information about the cancer itself, such as what type of breast cancer you have and additional information, such as whether the cancer is hormone receptor positive or negative. You and your health care provider can then develop a treatment plan that best suits your needs.
This article is written by Mayo Clinic staff. Find more health and medical information on mayoclinic.org.
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