What is a Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy?
Your doctor has recommended that you have a fine-needle aspiration biopsy. You or your doctor has felt a lump and it is important to determine the nature of this lump. The most common possibilities are scars, cysts, infections, inflammation, and tumors. Establishing a diagnosis often requires microscopic examination of a sample of the lump (“mass”) by a specially trained doctor called a pathologist. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy is a rapid and reliable (though not perfect) method of sampling any palpable lump. It is not appropriate for sampling lumps which cannot be felt; such lumps must be sampled by a radiologist under ultrasound or CT guidance. Based on the diagnostic findings of your biopsy, your doctor will determine your treatment.
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