A biopsy is a medical procedure that involves taking a small sample of tissue so that it can be examined under a microscope.
A tissue sample can be taken from almost anywhere on, or in, your body, including the skin, stomach, kidneys, liver and lungs.
The term biopsy is often used to refer to both the act of taking the sample and the tissue sample itself.
What is a biopsy used for?
Biopsies are used to identify abnormal cells and to help diagnose many different health conditions or to find out a specific type or cause of a disease. In cases where a condition has been diagnosed, a biopsy can be used to measure how severe it is or what stage it's at.
For example, a biopsy can often help to diagnose or rule out:
Biopsies are commonly used to check whether a breast lump is non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant).
Read more about why a biopsy is necessary.
Types of biopsy
There are various types of biopsy that can be used to help identify a wide range of health conditions. Types of biopsy include:
- scraping cells – removing cells from the surface layer of tissue, such as from the inside of the mouth, or from inside the cervix (neck of the womb) as part of a cervical screening test
- a punch biopsy – is for diagnosing skin conditions by using a special instrument to punch a small hole in the skin to obtain a skin sample
- a needle biopsy – a special hollow needle, guided by ultrasound, is used to obtain tissue from an organ or from tissue beneath the skin
- an endoscopic biopsy – an endoscope is used to take a tissue sample, such as from the stomach during a gastroscopy (a diagnostic procedure of the stomach or upper gastrointestinal tract)
- an excisional biopsy – surgery is used to take a larger section of tissue
- perioperative biopsy – if consent is given, a perioperative biopsy can be performed during surgery; the sample will be tested within minutes so that the surgeon can be given the diagnoses and progress with appropriate treatment
How a biopsy is carried out will depend on where the tissue sample is being taken from.
After the tissue sample has been taken, the tissue will be closely examined under a microscope to see whether it appears abnormal. If it does, the pathologist examining the sample will try to identify the nature of the problem. This often means that a definite diagnosis is made.
The tissue may also be tested using various chemicals to see how it responds and to find out what it contains. The type of tests that are used will depend on the medical conditions being investigated.
Read more about how a biopsy is performed.
Recovery
Most biopsies will only require local anaesthetic, which means that you won't need to stay in hospital overnight. However, a general anaesthetic may be needed for surgery, in which case you may have to stay in hospital overnight.
You shouldn't usually feel pain after having most types of biopsy, although this depends on where from your body the biopsy is taken; you may feel a dull ache. This can be treated with painkillers on the advice of your doctor or surgeon.
Some types of biopsy may involve staying in hospital for a few hours or having stitches or a dressing applied before you leave.
Read more about recovering from a biopsy.
Getting your results
How quickly you get the results of a biopsy will depend on the urgency of your case and the hospital where you had the procedure.
If a serious condition is suspected, your results may be available within a few days. However, this is difficult to predict because there may be further tests needed after the first examination of the sample. Sometimes it is also necessary to send microscope slides away for a specialist's opinion. A cervical smear test result usually takes 10 to 14 days.
A different processing method is used when a biopsy is performed during surgery. This means that a result is often available within minutes, which enables the appropriate treatment to be given while the surgery is in progress.
Your GP, hospital consultant or practice nurse will give you your results and explain what they mean. Sometimes, a biopsy won't be conclusive, which means that it hasn't produced a definitive result. If this is the case, the biopsy may need to be repeated or you may need to have other tests to double-check your diagnosis.
