By Medanta Medical Team in
Jun 18, 2019
A biopsy is a medical test which involves taking a small sample of tissues, cells, skin or organ, from a certain part of the body. Both the process and the sample can be interchangeably referred to as a biopsy.
This sample is examined by a pathologist under a microscope to determine the presence or extent of diseases, especially cancer. It is a mostly pain-free and low-risk test that provides accurate information. Imaging tests, for example, can detect the area of abnormalities. They, however, cannot tell whether the cell is cancerous or not, whether there is an underlying condition or not.
If your doctor has recommended a biopsy, here are 10 questions that could cross your mind:
Q 1. Why Am I Being Asked to Get a Biopsy?
If you have been asked to get a biopsy done, there is most probably an abnormality that is not conclusive via other tests. Your doctor would be recommending it to get the most accurate view of your condition.
Q 2. Are Biopsies Accurate?
Compared to most other testing options, yes. They can confirm a cancer diagnosis, identify the type of cell tumour and in recent times, they can also tell if the tumour has a certain type of genetic modification. The last part can help plan targeted therapies. The time when a biopsy might not be accurate is when the sample extracted is too small or the cancer is not present in a particular area. This does not often happen but if it does, a follow-up biopsy might be required.
Q 3. What Are the Different Types of Biopsy?
The nature of your condition and location of the abnormality will help the doctor decide which procedure to undertake.The most commonly used types of biopsy are given below.
- Punch Biopsy (skin conditions)
- Scraping cells (cervix)
- Fine Needle Aspiration (breasts, lymph nodes, thyroids)
- Pap Smear (cervix)
- Endoscopic biopsy (abdominal region, nasal)
- Flow cytometry (bone marrow, lymph nodes)
- Surgical biopsy (all)
Q 4. How Can I Prepare for a Biopsy?
Your doctor will give specific instructions which will include guidelines about ongoing medications, supplements and your diet. Make sure you do not apply unnecessary chemicals on your body like deodorants, talcum powder or lotions.
Q 5. How Soon Can I Get My Biopsy Results?
Based on the urgency and type of analysis, results can take up to ten days.
Q 6. How Long Do I Have to Stay in the Hospital / Clinic?
Quite a few biopsies are outpatient procedures and you can leave within a couple of hours, unless the doctor specifically asks you to stay. Scraping cells, Pap smear, Punch biopsies and certain FNAs are done faster.
Q 7. Will I Be Sedated During the Biopsy?
Depends on the type of biopsy. For surgical biopsies, anaesthesia will usually be given. Check with your doctor.
Q 8. What Happens to the Sample Taken?
Right after the process, the sample is kept in a special preservative and sent for testing. The pathologists need to do a complete molecular profiling. They conduct various types of tests on the sample for analysis.
Q 9. How Long Does it Take to Heal After a Biopsy? Can I Go to Work?
You might feel some discomfort on the biopsy site. Depending on the incision you might have to take one or two days off for healing after a surgical biopsy.
Q 10. Once I Reach Home, Do I Need to Do Anything?
Your doctor will advise you but if you notice bleeding from your biopsy site even after 24 hours, call your doctor. If there is a bandage, keep it on. Usually, you can take a shower 24 hours after your biopsy. Keep the area clean and dry. If there is any swelling or bruising, you can apply ice packs several times a day for relief. Avoid strenuous exercises or lifting heavy objects.
FAQs
When and how you will get your results are important questions to ask your doctor before the test. 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.
What questions to ask during a biopsy? ›
How many samples will be removed? How large is the tissue fragment to be removed? How long will the procedure take? Can I go about my normal daily activities afterward?
Would a doctor say you have cancer before biopsy results? ›
Can you diagnose without a biopsy? The short answer is no. While imaging and blood draws can show suspicious areas or levels, removing tissue and studying it is the only way to diagnose cancer 100%. Home tests to detect things like colon cancer only look for blood or DNA markers in your stool.
What diseases can a biopsy show? ›
Examples of conditions where a biopsy may be helpful include:
- cancer.
- inflammation, such as in the liver (hepatitis) or kidney (nephritis)
- infection, such as in lymph nodes – for example, tuberculosis.
- various skin conditions.
Some biopsy results are available relatively quickly, providing patients with prompt information about their condition. However, the process may take around four weeks in certain cases, especially those involving complex diagnoses or specific types of cancers like lymphoma.
Do bad biopsy results come back quicker? ›
If I have cancer will my biopsy results come back faster? No. How long you have to wait does not reflect what the result will be. The speed at which it's done only reflects the process within a particular clinic.
What should you not do after a biopsy? ›
Do not participate in strenuous activities for 48 hours following the biopsy. Strenuous activity may cause bleeding at the biopsy site. If you should have bleeding at the site, 20 minutes pressure needs to be applied preferably by another person to stop the bleeding. Bruising at the biopsy site is normal.
What should I avoid after a biopsy? ›
You should avoid hot (temperature hot) foods today as well as spicy or sharp foods like toast, chips and popcorn, for your own comfort. However, do eat your meals and keep hydrated. Be careful about not biting the area of the biopsy site or areas that may be numb for several hours.
What should you avoid before a biopsy? ›
However, you may be asked to stop taking blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin (Jantoven) or aspirin, in the days before your biopsy. Depending on what part of your body will be biopsied, your doctor may ask you not to eat or drink before the procedure.
Does a biopsy tell you what stage cancer is? ›
Needle biopsies are commonly used to remove a small sample of cells or tissue from the area of concern. If the cancer can't be diagnosed from a tissue sample, you may have surgery to remove the mass so it can be checked for signs of cancer. The biopsy results are used to diagnose and stage cancer.
Certain things about the image might even suggest that it's likely to be cancerous. But there are many benign (noncancerous) tumors that look very much like cancerous growths. That's why, if your doctor suspects cancer from imaging, they will almost always follow up with a biopsy.
Do I have cancer if I need a biopsy? ›
Imaging tests, such as CT scans or MRIs, are helpful in detecting masses or irregular tissue, but they alone can't tell the difference between cancerous cells and cells that aren't cancerous. For most cancers, the only way to make a diagnosis is to perform a biopsy to collect cells for closer examination.
Does a biopsy show inflammation? ›
Colonoscopy and Biopsy
This test provides live video images of the colon and rectum and enables the doctor to examine the intestinal lining for inflammation, ulcers, and other signs of IBD.
What happens if a biopsy comes back positive? ›
If you have a biopsy resulting in a cancer diagnosis, the pathology report will help you and your doctor talk about the next steps. You will likely be referred to a breast cancer specialist, and you may need more scans, lab tests, or surgery.
Can biopsy detect inflammation? ›
The histopathologic diagnosis of inflammation is common in colorectal biopsies but is of limited value, if not further specified.
How are you notified of biopsy results? ›
Your GP, hospital consultant or practice nurse will give you your results and explain what they mean.
Is no news good news when waiting for biopsy results? ›
He or she might assume you expect a call only about something abnormal. Don't assume that “no news is good news.” Make it clear to your doctor that you want to hear any and all results. That's why setting up a time in advance to discuss the results, as suggested above, is such a good idea.
How do doctors tell you biopsy results? ›
After analyzing and testing your biopsy or cytology samples, the pathologist will send your doctor a report that gives a diagnosis for each sample taken. The information in this report can then be used to help manage your care. The pathology report is often quite long and complex.
Do you always get a follow-up appointment after a biopsy? ›
Results: It can take a week to analyse these samples and you will be given an appointment to come back to discuss the results. However, occasionally further sampling is required. Should this be necessary, you may be contacted directly by phone or letter with an appointment to attend for a repeat biopsy.
