How is a needle aspirate or needle core biopsy helpful?
A needle aspirate or needle core biopsy can be a very useful tool in diagnosing early cancers as well as preventing unnecessary surgery in others. The aspirate is slightly less accurate of the two. It evaluates a smear of cells while the core evaluates an actual block of tissue. Both can be performed on abnormalities found by the physician exam, mammogram or ultrasound, and all can be done in the Breast Center. Even as accurate as they may be, they are not 100% diagnostic. Only an excisional biopsy (removing the entire abnormality) is considered 100% accurate.
