Breast Biopsy & Aspiration

Lumps or other abnormalities in your breast may be found by physical examination, mammography, ultrasound, or another type of imaging exam. But it’s not always possible to tell from an image or physical examination whether a growth is harmless or could potentially threaten your health. In such cases, a biopsy or aspiration may be recommended.

How Biopsies & Aspirations Work

With a breast biopsy, tiny samples of the lump are removed and examined to determine whether it may be cancerous. Most biopsies prove benign (non-cancerous). Biopsies are usually performed using a hollow needle with imaging guidance. The tissue is examined under a microscope to determine a diagnosis.

Aspiration is recommended when it is thought that a lump may be a cyst, which is a fluid-filled sac.  To be certain the lump is a cyst, your radiology physician may use a fine needle to puncture the lump and remove the fluid, which usually causes the cyst to collapse and disappear.

Rest assured. Removing small samples from the breast for diagnosis is now a safe, accurate procedure that usually involves only minimal discomfort and is extremely well tolerated by patients.

Why Physicians Use Breast Biopsy

Identification of lumps and other suspicious sites as early as possible provides women with the best chance to preserve long-term health. Suspicious findings in the breast usually require biopsy for diagnosis. If biopsy is needed, we at Radiology & Imaging will work with you to schedule the procedure as quickly as possible. You can put worries to rest if the biopsy results are harmless. If the biopsy shows cancer, you can begin treatment sooner and have a much greater chance of total elimination of the threat the lump poses to your health.  Breast biopsies aren’t designed to remove the entire abnormality, and if a biopsy shows a malignant or high-risk (atypical) result, surgery will be needed.

Breast images may not be conclusive. Your physician may need a small breast sample (biopsy) to accurately tell you whether a finding in a breast image is harmless or not.

Preparing For Your Breast Biopsy

Your preparation can vary, depending on the type of procedure. You may eat and drink a light meal beforehand. You may be asked to wear a gown. Blood thinners should be avoided for at least 3 days prior to the procedure. You should notify us of any allergies to local anesthetic, medications, adhesive tape, or latex. You may want to have a relative or friend accompany you and drive you home.

Before the procedure, Radiology & Imaging personnel will provide you with additional details and answer any questions you may have.

Most biopsies reveal that the questioned abnormality is harmless. That’s true 60 to 80 percent of the time.

What Breast Biopsy or Aspiration Is Like

The overwhelming majority of women find a breast biopsy or aspiration to be relatively painless and easy.

For stereotactic (mammogram guided) biopsy, you will lie face down on a moveable exam table. The Radiology & Imaging technologist will position the affected breast or breasts into openings in the table. Your breast will be gently pressed between two compression plates. Using computer software, the radiologist will find the precise location of the problem area to guide accurate needle placement. The breast will be thoroughly cleansed and local anesthetic will be injected. A very small nick will then be made in the skin at the site where the biopsy needle will enter.

The radiologist will then insert the needle, advance it to the problem area and verify the position. Tissue samples are then removed.

For ultrasound guided procedures, you will lie on face up on an exam table in the ultrasound suite. Samples will be taken in a similar way, except that ultrasound will be used continuously during the procedure to place the needle and guide biopsy.

With either type of biopsy, a tiny clip may be placed into the breast after the procedure, to make the abnormality easier to find if the results show that surgery is needed. With both biopsy types, you should let the radiologist know if you are uncomfortable and more anesthetic will be given.

Within about 45 minutes the biopsy is done. You will be given detailed post-biopsy care instructions. You should avoid hard physical activity for 24 hours after returning home. Then you should be able to resume all of your normal activities. The biopsy results will be available to you in less than one week.

The Benefits & Risks

Your physician and Radiology & Imaging recommends a biopsy when a finding has an appearance that could possibly be cancerous. As medical procedures go, a biopsy or aspiration is minor. You will have little or no scarring. The speed, accuracy and safety of breast biopsies and aspirations are considered extremely high.

Whenever you skin is penetrated, you have some risk of bleeding, hematoma (blood collection) formation, or infection. After a breast biopsy, the chance of complication is extremely low.

Before a biopsy, feeling some anxiety or stress is normal. Your Radiology & Imaging team will help. We’ll give you detailed information before, during and after the biopsy, and will make every effort to keep you comfortable and informed throughout the process.

The Limits of Breast Biopsy & Aspiration

Breast biopsy procedures will occasionally not provide enough tissue to make a conclusive diagnosis or will underestimate the extent of the disease. Also, some biopsies will show suspicious or atypical findings that are not cancerous themselves but can occasionally be associated with cancer. If your diagnosis remains uncertain after a technically successful procedure, your physician may recommend surgical biopsy.

We Subspecialize in Breast Health

A growing number of radiology physicians at Radiology & Imaging specialize in breast imaging and biopsies and aspirations. Subspecialization means that more expertise and experience is at work for you.

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