Tag: Incisional biopsy

Contrary to a common misconception, an excision biopsy does not involve taking just a piece of the tumor or lesion. This surgical procedure is, in fact, designed for the complete removal of the suspicious area for comprehensive diagnostic analysis, a key distinction in pathology.

While the term 'surgery' often evokes images of operating rooms and general anesthesia, a 2023 National Cancer Institute report noted that biopsy procedures can range from minimally invasive to fully surgical. This variety in technique is key to understanding the nuanced answer to the question: Is a biopsy considered a surgical procedure? It all depends on the specific method used to collect the tissue sample.

Over 11 million biopsies are performed annually in the U.S. alone, but a common question that many patients have is: is a biopsy a full removal? The simple answer is that it depends entirely on the type of biopsy being performed, with some methods removing only a small sample while others excise the entire mass for analysis.