OPTIONS FOR BIOPSY

If a suspicious lump is discovered in the breast, your doctor will likely want to perform a biopsy, or sampling, of the area.  A needle biopsy  or a surgical biopsy will be needed to collect a sample of tissue that can be tested for cancer.

Fine Needle Aspiration Fine needle aspiration can be done for breast cysts or sampling lymph nodes, usually using ultrasound guidance to locate the lesion.  Local anesthetic is injected, and a thin, hollow needle is used to remove a sample of liquid or tissue for diagnosis.

Core Needle Biopsy Core needle biopsy uses local anesthetic and a needle to collect several samples of tissue from the suspicious area.  A core needle biopsy is usually guided by ultrasound or mammogram (mammography-assisted biopsies are referred to as stereotactic biopsies). The needle will be inserted multiple times in order to collect enough samples.

Surgical Biopsy To test a suspicious lump for the presence of breast cancer, your surgeon will take a biopsy, or tissue sampling, of the area. 
The location of the lump may need to first be marked with a needle using ultrasound or mammography guidance if it is not palpable.  A needle will be inserted through the skin to mark the target area (lump, calcifications, etc.) before the biopsy is done.  A surgical procedure is then done to remove a piece of tissue for analysis.  The surgery is an outpatient procedure and usually requires a general anesthetic.