The analysis is done through a microscopic evaluation of the material extracted and if the presence of cancerous cells is confirmed, it will be possible to identify the type and degree of involvement caused by the disease.

When the breast cancer is detected early, the chances of curing the disease are up to 95%.

When to perform the biopsy?

Generally, the biopsy is requested after the results of the mammography and ultrasonography results indicate a suspicion of breast cancer or if a nodule has been found during the physical examination. The health professional can also request the examination in case there are some specific signs, such as bloody secretions in the nipples, formation of crusts, alterations in the texture of the skin or the formation of scales.

Types of biopsy

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy or Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA)

FNAB is performed with a 20/21G gauge needle attached to a syringe for tissue aspiration. The needle positioning is usually guided by ultrasound. The collection of material is performed with back and forth movements of the syringe.

Core Biopsy

The core biopsy consists in the removal of tissue fragments with a needle with a slightly thicker gauge than the FNAB, coupled to a special gun. The positioning of the biopsy needle may be guided by digital mammography stereotactic or ultrasound guided. The procedure is performed under local anaesthesia and usually several fragments of a few millimetres are removed.

Surgical biopsy

The biopsy is performed in the surgical centre and provides safety margins so that the surgeon who is removing the nodule can be sure that all the tissue with evidence of pathology is being removed.

There are two types of surgical biopsies:
- Incisional: which removes only part of the suspected area, enough for diagnosis;
- Excisional: which removes the whole tumour or abnormal area.

The choice of which type of biopsy to perform depends on the specific situation. Some of the factors that the doctor will consider include type of lesion, size, location, amount of tumour and other clinical problems.

Sources: Femama, Oncoguia, Hospital do Câncer de Barretos, INCA