What is the difference between an excisional and incisional biopsy?
An excisional biopsy is when a surgeon takes out the whole lymph node. An incisional biopsy is when a surgeon takes out only a part of the lymph node. In both cases, a specialized doctor called a pathologist looks at the cells under a microscope to check for cancer cells. Both of these types of biopsies almost always give the pathologist enough tissue to confirm whether there is cancer.
