Diagnosis Diagnostic Interventional Procedures After a breast examination, a mammogram or/and an ultrasound is advised.Accordingly, we decide whether a biopsy is needed to make a diagnosis.

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Fine Needle Aspiration/Trucut biopsy

This procedure involves inserting a thin needle into the breast to remove cells from a lump. These cells are then examined under a microscope. Local anesthesia may be given. This test may be done to determine whether a lump is solid or is a fluid-filled cyst. A cyst will collapse and disappear after the fluid is removed. If the lump is not a cyst, another type of biopsy may be done.

Trucut Biopsy

This procedure involves taking of a chunk of tissue with the help of a special device called Trucut biopsy device and hence can give a tissue diagnosis with accuracy.Since this gives a 100% diagnosis it avoids the need to do an incisional or an excisional biopsy in most of the lumps.

Stereotactic Core Biopsy

This biopsy is used to evaluate a lump that is seen on a mammogram or ultrasound, but cannot be felt during a breast examination. An X-ray instrument precisely locates the part of the breast from where the biopsy sample is to be taken. Using local anesthesia, a needle is placed into the breast lump to extract cells that will be sent to a pathologist to check for cancer.

Needle Localization Biopsy

Performed under local anesthesia, this procedure involves placing a fine needle with a very thin wire into the breast at the site of a suspicious area found during a mammogram or breast ultrasound. The wire is as thin as a human hair. A second mammogram is done to make sure the needle is in the right place. Then, the lump or abnormal tissue is removed with the wire. The tissue is reviewed by a pathologist to check for cancer cells.

Surgical Biopsy

In an open biopsy,which is very rarely done now with good methods of biopsies stated above, the surgeon makes an incision and removes a sample of the suspicious lump or the entire lump. This is usually done on an outpatient basis, with local or general anesthetic. The removed tissue is then examined by a pathologist. If cancer is found, additional surgery may be necessary.

Frozen Section Biopsy

This is done when there is a doubt of malignancy inspite of the biopsy or discrepancy in the reports.Here the lump is removed with wide margins and sent for histopathological examination in a special bag when the patient is still anaesthetized and with the frozen section technology within 15-20 minutes the final report whether the lump is malignant or not is given.On the basis of that if the lump is benign or non-cancerous the wound is closed and if malignant then definitive surgery for cancer is done i.e. breast removal or preservation in the same session avoiding second surgery.