Women with lumps in their breasts may be required to undergo a breast biopsy procedure if physicians are not able to determine by other means of examination whether such lumps are of a harmless nature.

Lumps may be discovered during self-examination of the breasts or by mammogram or ultrasound examinations. When physicians refer patients for biopsies they are seeking to determine whether lumps are cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign). A sample of the growth is obtained during the procedure and a laboratory test performed to ascertain its nature.

Procedure information
There are several different kinds of breast biopsy. A fine-needle aspiration biopsy simply removes cells by insertion of a needle through the skin into the affected area. This procedure can ascertain whether the lump is solid or fluid-filled. If the former is found then a further procedure is necessary.

A core-needle biopsy is similar, however the tip of the needle is designed to be able to remove a larger portion of tissue. In combination with this procedure, doctors may perform a stereotactic biopsy involving an X-ray, which can easily identify the affected area.

The final procedure is an open biopsy and involves the surgeon making an incision in the skin so that a sample of the lump tissue can be removed. This procedure can be performed with either a local or a general anesthetic.

Recovery time
Recovery time from a breast biopsy depends on the procedure performed, with fine-needle and core-needle techniques presenting little more than some localized tenderness for three to four days and some possible bruising.

For open biopsies, patients may experience some swelling but this generally goes down after a two to three days. Tenderness and bruising at the site are also to be expected, with the former easing in about a week and the latter within two weeks. Swelling may also occur and this can last considerably longer, sometimes for six to eight weeks following the procedure. Patients are advised to wear a sports bra for added support in the first few days after the operation.