What are fine needle aspiration biopsies and core needle biopsies?
A fine needle aspiration biopsy is a procedure that uses a fine needle to withdraw fluid from a cyst or a cluster of cells from a solid mass for further evaluation by a pathologist. The fine needle biopsy does not require anesthesia; however, the core needle biopsy procedure does require anesthesia. A core needle biopsy procedure uses a slightly bigger, hollow needle to withdraw small cores of tissue from the suspicious area. It can take up to six needles to obtain the necessary amount of tissue. Again, regardless of which procedure is utilized, some researchers feel that the procedure puts women at a greater risk for spreading the cancer if it turns out that cancer is present. A study at the John Wayne Cancer Institute issued a report in 2004 that suggested that needle biopsies can spread cancer from an isolated tumor to a nearby lymph node by 50 percent. The team of scientist studied 633 women who had breast cancer. Half of them were diagnosed with cancer through a needle biopsy, and
Related Questions
- Our facility performs a very low volume of fine needle aspirations and core needle biopsies. Do we still need to accredit these tests with the ACR?
- How may we add a module (Core Needle Biopsy or Fine Needle Aspiration Cystology) to our existing accreditation?
- What is the difference between core needle and fine needle aspiration?
