Breast biopsy

A breast biopsy means having a sample of breast tissue taken to look at under a microscope. It is the only way to find out whether you have breast cancer or other breast conditions.

Go to our information about breast cancer

Types of breast biopsy

There are different types of breast biopsy. The type of biopsy you have depends on a number of factors such as:

• how big the abnormal area is

• where it is

Before having a biopsy, you have scans such as a ​mammogram​ and breast ​ultrasound scan​ . Your doctor looks at the results of the scans and decides on the best type of biopsy for you. You might have a:

• needle biopsy, this is also called core needle biopsy

• vacuum assisted biopsy

• fine needle aspiration

• punch biopsy

Sometimes it can be difficult to take a biopsy from the abnormal area. If this happens, your doctor might suggest you have a wire guided biopsy. This is a surgical biopsy.

Where you have the biopsy

You usually have a biopsy in the outpatient department. Or you might have it in a one stop breast clinic after other tests, such as a mammogram or breast ultrasound scan.

You have a wire guided excision biopsy in the operating theatre.

Preparing for your biopsy

You can usually eat and drink normally before your biopsy. Take your medicines as normal. But if you are taking any blood thinning medicines you might need to stop them before the test. Your doctor or nurse will tell you when to stop.

If you are having a wire guided excision biopsy you usually have it under ​general anaesthetic​ . You need to stop eating and drinking for a few hours before the test. You usually can’t eat up to 6 hours beforehand and you can have water for up to 2 hours beforehand.

What happens

Your doctor or nurse will give you information about the test and may ask you to sign a consent form. This is a good time to ask any questions that you have. What happens during the biopsy depends on the type of biopsy you are having.

When you are in the biopsy room, a staff member will ask you to take off your upper clothing, including your bra. You usually put on a hospital gown and lie on a couch. Your doctor then cleans the breast area.

Having the samples of tissue taken only takes a few minutes, but you will be with the doctor for longer. Part of this time is making sure you understand the procedure and are comfortable.

Wire guided excision biopsy

A wire guided excision biopsy means putting a thin wire into the breast to show the exact area to remove.

You might have this type of biopsy if your mammogram or breast ultrasound scan has shown an abnormal area, but your doctor can’t feel anything when they examine you. The abnormal area might look more dense than usual, or it might contain calcium spots. These are called breast calcifications.

You might have this biopsy if it is difficult to do other types of biopsies such as a needle biopsy.

You have a wire guided biopsy in 2 stages:

• the wire is put in place using a local anaesthetic in the radiology department or breast clinic

• later that same day, or the following day, you have surgery with a general anaesthetic to remove the area

After your biopsy

You can usually get dressed and go home or back to work straight afterwards if you like. But this depends on the type of biopsy you have had. Try not to do too much for the rest of the day. After a vacuum assisted biopsy, you should avoid heavy lifting for 48 hours.

You can take paracetamol if your breast is sore or tender. Your doctor or nurse will let you know how to look after your dressing. You can have a shower as normal if you have a waterproof dressing. Wearing a non wired soft bra may be more comfortable.

After a wire guided biopsy, you wake up in the recovery area of the operating theatre. Your nurse will take you back to the ward once you are fully awake. You can usually get dressed and go home that evening. Don’t drive because you might be drowsy from the anaesthetic. Arrange for someone to come and pick you up from the hospital and take you home.

Possible risks

A breast biopsy is a safe test, but your nurse will tell you who to contact if you have any problems afterwards. Your doctor will make sure the benefits of having a biopsy outweigh these possible risks.

Some of the possible risks include:

Bruising

You might see some bruising in the area and this is normal. It will go after a week or two.

Bleeding

It’s rare to have bleeding after your biopsy. Your doctor or nurse will give you advice on what to do if you have bleeding.

Swelling

Some people have some mild swelling after the test. This is uncommon but it may happen if the biopsy was difficult to do. Let your doctor know if the area is swollen or very painful.

Infection

Your doctor or nurse will let you know how to look after your biopsy site, to keep it clean and dry. Contact your healthcare team if the area becomes red or hot, you have pain rather than discomfort or if the pain is getting worse.

Complications with the wire

If you are having a wire guided biopsy, the wire may move between the time it’s put in and surgery, but this is rare. 

A collapsed lung (pneumothorax)

Air can collect in the space around the lung and make it collapse, but this is very rare. Contact a doctor if you become short of breath or have chest pain.

What tests do I need after a biopsy?

If you have a biopsy that shows that you have breast cancer, you might have more tests to work out where and how big the cancer is. This is called staging the cancer.

Find out about the tests you might have for breast cancer