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Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• What is a breast biopsy?
• What is the purpose of a breast biopsy?
• What specialties of physicians and practitioners do breast biopsies?
• Who should have a breast biopsy?
• In what setting is the breast biopsy done?
• What may a benign result indicate?
• How is a suspicious breast growth discovered?
• What should the patient tell the physician about the growth?
• How does a physician confirm the presence of a breast growth?
• Is anesthesia needed for a biopsy?
• What about pain and complications?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of non-surgical procedures versus surgical breast biopsies?
• What are the different types of breast biopsy procedures and what do they involve?
• How is a fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) done?
• How is a core needle biopsy (CNB) done?
• How is a vacuum-assisted breast biopsy done?
• How is an excision biopsy of the breast done?
• What is the time frame for receiving the results of a breast biopsy?
• Breast Biopsy At A Glance
• Patient Comments: Breast Biopsy - Experience
• Find a local Surgeon in your town
• Breast Biopsy Index

Who should have a breast biopsy?

Anyone, female or male, with a suspicious breast growth or other symptoms of breast cancer should undergo a biopsy. Ninety-nine percent of all breast cancers occur in females, however, males can and do get breast cancer. Therefore, men should regularly examine their breasts as females do for lumps or other cancer symptoms. (Males with the genetic disorder Klinefelter syndrome, which is associated with increased breast development, have approximately the same risk of developing breast cancer as females.)

In what setting is the breast biopsy done?

Breast biopsies are performed in the doctor's office, an outpatient facility, or a hospital operating room. The setting depends on the size and location of the growth, the patient's general health, and the type of biopsy performed. Because physicians can perform biopsies in a short time with minimal risk of serious complications, the patient usually does not need to remain hospitalized overnight unless an underlying health problem requires close monitoring.

What may a benign result indicate?

Among the most common benign growths in the breast are cysts (sacs filled with fluid or semisolid material), intraductal papillomas (small wart-like growths that project above a tissue surface), and lumps formed by fat necrosis (the death of tissue often as a result of trauma to the breast). A fibroadenoma is the most common type of benign (non-cancerous) breast tumor and is found in young women.