Open biopsy of the breast can be carried out at a preliminary admission to ensure a prior diagnosis or during the definitive surgery to treat breast cancer. In both situations, admission and a general anaesthetic are required.
Where open biopsy is done in advance of definitive surgery, usually it is to provide a diagnosis where previous fine needle aspiration has failed. With a diagnosis, the patient is in a better position to consider the options e.g. breast conservation versus mastectomy.
There has been a trend away from open biopsy to provide a diagnosis at the time of definitive surgery on the breast. It requires rapid assessment of the frozen section specimen which carries a small but significant rate of misinterpretation. Also, the patient must be fully informed in advance of the surgical options if the specimen is benign or malignant.
Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page