Breast Lump Biopsy

A breast biopsy is a sample of tissue taken directly from the breast. This can be done in the office by "fine-needle aspiration," where the doctor inserts a very thin needle into the lump and draws up a tissue sample into a syringe. It can also be done as outpatient surgery, where the surgeon either takes a small piece of the lump or completely removes the lump.

With both procedures, the tissue sample is sent to the lab to see if cancerous cells are present.