Types of biopsies

There are different types of biopsies, each used for various aspects of the body. Some biopsies like a shave, punch, incisional or excisional biopsy are used to diagnose skin conditions, including melanoma and other cancers. What type of skin biopsy you undergo will depend on the type of cancer suspected and the extent of the suspicious cells. In such cases, you may receive local anaesthetics to numb the area so that the sample can be taken.

In other cases, the biopsy may be surgical, during which your surgeon will make an incision in your skin, using local- or under general anaesthesia, to access the suspicious area of cells. This may be advised for lumps or masses within the body like the breast or a lymph node. Surgical biopsy procedures can be used to remove part of an abnormal area of cells (incisional biopsy) or to remove the entire mass of abnormal cells (excisional biopsy). For surgical biopsies, you may need to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days after the surgery.

After your biopsy, the tissue or cell sample will be sent to the laboratory to be studied under a microscope and tested. You can expect the biopsy results within a week or two.

Laparoscopic biopsies to harvest abdominal lymph nodes may be done if indicated.

As this is merely a guide providing a basic understanding of the surgery, Dr Maraj will be able to answer any further questions should you have any.