Im having a needle biopsy (also called a needle aspiration)–what is it?
When a needle aspiration (or biopsy) is performed, the physician will first numb the skin over the lump with an anesthetic. Then, a larger needle with a syringe on the end is inserted into the breast lump. After placing the needle, the physician will draw back the syringe, which will (in some cases) fill with breast fluid. When having this procedure, it is common to not have much fluid removed; this does NOT mean that you have cancer. The first step in analyzing a breast lump is to determine whether or not it is fluid filled. If a lump is entirely filled with fluid, it is called a cyst, and the needle aspiration is used to drain it. After the needle aspiration, there is no lump left, and that is usually all the treatment that is necessary. The fluid will be sent for analysis by a laboratory. If there is no fluid in the lump, or a lump remains after a needle aspiration, two events occur. The first is that any cells that were removed during the procedure are sent to a lab for analysis. T
