What if the lump is solid and contains no fluid?
If fine-needle aspiration doesn’t draw out any fluid, the lump may still be a harmless, solid fibrous growth. The needle can retrieve cells from the lump for further examination under the microscope. Sometimes, this is enough to reach a clear diagnosis. If the answer is still unclear, further investigation will be needed. Your doctor can use a larger needle to draw out some tissue from the lump. This is then examined under the microscope to see if there are any cancer cells. This procedure is called a “core biopsy.” Your doctor may be able to locate the lump by feel; if not, a mammographic or ultrasound “picture” of the lump is used as a guide to make sure the needle goes to the right place. If cancer is still suspected, a “surgical biopsy” is done, in which the whole lump is removed for examination under the microscope. To make sure of getting it all, some of the surrounding normal tissue is also taken. What about other diagnostic techniques such as thermography, light scanning and ma
