These procedures are usually fairly quick and might take 15 to 30 minutes to perform, depending on the part of the body being biopsied. Typically, the biopsy sample is then saved in a special type of preservative and sent to the pathology lab for processing.
The results, called a pathology report, may be ready as soon as 2 or it may take as long as 10 days. How long it takes to get your biopsy results depends on how many tests are needed on the sample. Based on these tests, the laboratory processing your sample can learn if cancer is present and, if so, what type it is.
Healthcare providers usually use a local anesthetic or general anesthetic for breast biopsies, so people who undergo a biopsy experience little discomfort. You may feel a pinch or sting when your healthcare provider injects local anesthesia, and you'll likely feel some pressure during the procedure, which is normal.
Other times, a biopsy can tell the doctor how aggressive a cancer appears to be and what the extent of the disease may be. This refers to a cancer's stage and grade. A biopsy can also explain what type of cancer cells are inside the tumor.
Recovery. Most biopsies will only require local anaesthetic, which means you won't need to stay in hospital overnight. However, an overnight stay is sometimes required when the biopsy is carried out under general anaesthetic. After having a biopsy, you won't usually feel any pain.
In most cases, biopsies are outpatient procedures, so you won't need to stay in hospital overnight. But occasionally some types of biopsy, such as those where a tissue sample needs to be taken from an internal organ, may require a general anaesthetic.
Taking care of yourself at home
Rest as much as you can in the next day or two. Limit using the body part, if this is possible. For example, if you had a biopsy performed on your arm or leg, try to rest and raise the limb for the next day or so.
Biopsy. In most cases, doctors need to do a biopsy to be certain that you have cancer. A biopsy is a procedure in which the doctor removes a sample of abnormal tissue. A pathologist looks at the tissue under a microscope and runs other tests on the cells in the sample.
If your pathologist suspects certain types of cancer, such as lymphoma, he or she might need to perform additional testing to determine the subtype. This process takes an additional 24 to 96 hours, depending on the complexity of the cancer. It can be agonizing to wait for biopsy results.
But for most cancer types, a cancer diagnosis isn't a diagnosis until a biopsy says it is — and everything that follows hinges on that biopsy. A biopsy is a procedure that collects a sample of tissue or cells from a suspicious area, mass or lymph node for examination and testing by a pathologist.
A biopsy is only recommended if there's a suspicious finding on a mammogram, ultrasound or MRI, or a concerning clinical finding. If a scan is normal and there are no worrisome symptoms, there's no need for a biopsy. If you do need a biopsy, your doctor should discuss which type of biopsy is needed and why.
About 20 percent of these biopsies yield a diagnosis of breast cancer. Open surgical biopsy removes suspicious tissue through a surgical incision. This procedure requires either a general or local anesthetic and closure of the incision with sutures.
Physicians should disclose a cancer diagnosis in a personal setting, discussing the diagnosis and treatment options for a substantial period of time whenever possible.
Another important factor is whether there are cancer cells at the margins, or edges, of the biopsy sample. A “positive” or “involved” margin means there are cancer cells in the margin. This means that it is likely that cancerous cells are still in the body.
All tissue that is removed is sent to a laboratory, where a pathologist will examine it under a microscope. The results will be available in about a week. If all the cancer and a margin of healthy tissue are removed during the biopsy, this may be the only treatment you need.
The most common types include: (1) incisional biopsy, in which only a sample of tissue is removed; (2) excisional biopsy, in which an entire lump or suspicious area is removed; and (3) needle biopsy, in which a sample of tissue or fluid is removed with a needle.
Keep a bandage on the biopsy site for a day. Do not drive or run machinery for at least 24 hours. Do not do any strenuous exercise or lifting for at least two days. Do not take a hot bath or shower for at least 12 hours.
Most people make a full recovery within a few hours. In some cases, this may take days, particularly in elderly people and those who had memory problems before surgery. Rarely, people have ongoing mental effects (such as fogginess or mild memory loss) for a week or several months after surgery.
Doctors use different tests to determine a cancer's stage. These might include: Physical exams. Lab work, such as blood or urine tests.
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.)
After the biopsy procedure, the breast tissue is sent to a lab, where a doctor 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.