biopsy

[ellie1605]

I am a 42 year old female and my right breast is 1.5 inches bigger than the left went to doc and he sent me to breast clinic got a mammogram and the doc said he was almost sure it would come back clear. Got a letter the next week and he said there may be a small cyst and would like to do an ultrasound for clarification Went for ultrasound and the doc said they had found a 1cm lump that he thought was benign on mammogram and ultrasound would clarify if it was. After the ultrasound the doc said he would need to do a biopsy I am worried as I dont know if it is a cyst or lump and if the ultrasound couldnt have clarified it any advice.

[zouzi]

If you are having Core needle biopsy .This procedure is similar to fine needle aspiration, but the needle is larger, enabling a larger sample to be obtained. It is performed under local anesthesia and ultrasound or stereotactic mammography is used if the lump cannot be felt.

Three to six needle insertions are needed to obtain an adequate sample of tissue. A clicking sound may be heard as the samples are being taken and the patient may feel some pressure, but should not feel pain. The procedure takes a few minutes and no stitches are required.

Core needle biopsy may provide a more accurate analysis and diagnosis than fine needle aspiration because tissue is removed, rather than just cells.

[ellie1605]

Thank you. I will keep you informed.

[zouzi]

Hi again.
If you are having a fine Needle Aspiration, this procedure is performed under local anesthesia. The surgeon uses a fine hollow needle that is attached to a syringe to extract fluid from a cyst or cells from a solid lesion. The needle used in this procedure is very small (smaller than those used to draw blood). Several insertions are usually required to obtain an adequate sample. The procedure takes a few minutes,it's a little uncomfortable but not painful.
If the lump cannot be felt, ultrasound may be utilized to help the physician guide the needle into the breast and to the lesion. Stereotactic mammography may also be used. This mammography utilizes a computer to pinpoint the mass or cyst. Mammograms are taken from two angles and the computer maps the precise location of the lesion.

There is no incision and a very small bandage is put over the site where the needle entered. Fine needle aspiration is the easiest and fastest method of obtaining a breast biopsy, and is very effective for women who have fluid filled cysts.
Good luck and please keep us posted.

[ellie1605]

I forgot to say the doc said the lump was quite deep down dont know what kind of biopsy that I am getting just know that they will be using ultrasound. Any help would be great. Thanks

[ellie1605]

Thanks can anyone tell me what to expect with biopsy as I was just told that I would get local anasthetic.

[zouzi]

Hi,
Usually when a biopsy is recommended it's to be sure that there's not something other than a cyst going on. So it may be that what was seen doesn't have clear-cut characteristics of a cyst. When there are questions, it's best to find out.
Keep in mind that many biopsies return a benign finding,so try not to worry too much.
Best wishes...