Should i get a biopsy

Here are 5 things this pathologist wants every patient to know about biopsy. Pathologists are trained to evaluate many different types of tissue. They use powerful microscopes to evaluate the cells within each tissue sample.

Sometimes a biopsy sample might not be big enough to evaluate. Other times, the pathologist can see that the sample was not taken from the correct area. In these cases, the pathologist will ask your doctor to repeat the biopsy, so the pathologist can make a conclusive and accurate diagnosis. These include shave biopsies, punch biopsies, Pap tests and cervical biopsies, and even some fine needle aspiration biopsies FNABs for the thyroid or lymph nodes.

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. Tissue processing takes several steps, but it starts with making sure the correct test was done on the correct patient.

Depending on the type of evaluation needed, the next steps might take a few hours or several days. 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 be assured that the pathologist is using his or her specialized expertise to make sure you get an accurate diagnosis. Pathologists are the caretakers of tissue samples and must exercise good judgment with them. Samples allow us to make a correct diagnosis. But we can also use the samples to perform additional tests, such as immunostains, which can identify where a tumor started. This is really valuable in treating cancer that has spread from another part of the body, called metastasis.

This often means that a definite diagnosis can be made. The type of stains and tests that are used when the tissue is examined under the microscope will depend on the medical condition being investigated.

Most biopsies will only require local anaesthetic , which means you won't need to stay in hospital overnight. But an overnight stay is usually required when the procedure is carried out under general anaesthetic.

Most types of biopsy are painless once the anaesthetic starts to work, although this depends on where the sample is taken. You may experience a dull ache, which can be treated with painkillers on the advice of your doctor or surgeon.

Read more about recovering from a biopsy. How quickly you get the results of a biopsy will depend on the urgency of your case and your local hospital's policy.

Results are often available within a few days. But this is difficult to predict, because further tests may be needed after the first examination of the sample. It's sometimes necessary to send the microscope slides away to get another specialist opinion.

If a biopsy is carried out during surgery, in some cases a different processing method may be used, known as a frozen section. The biopsy needs to produce enough tissue for thorough examination and all the laboratory tests essential for an exact diagnosis.

Return to homepage. Monday, March 16, - am. Cancer Support. Read these five reasons why a cancer specialist should perform and interpret your biopsy: 1.

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