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Breast biopsy - Risks

Alternative Names

Biopsy - breast

What the risks are:

There is a slight chance of infection at the injection or incision site.
Excessive bleeding is rare, but may require draining or re-bandaging. Bruising is common.
There will be a scar. Depending on the amount of tissue removed and how the breast heals, the appearance of the breast may be affected.
Depending on the results of the biopsy, further surgery or treatment may be needed.

Special considerations:

Most breast lumps are detected during a manual breast exam or mammography. A discharge from the nipple may indicate the presence of a cancerous tumor. Even if the biopsy results are benign, discuss ongoing breast screening with your doctor.

Female Breast

Needle biopsy of the breast

Open biopsy of the breast

Female breast biopsy

Breast lump removal - series

Reviewed last on: 7/25/2007
Robert A. Cowles, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

References

Abeloff MD, Armitage JO, Niederhuber JE, Kastan MB, McKena WG. Clinical Oncology. 3rd ed. Orlando, Fl: Churchill Livingstone; 2004.

Whitman GJ. Ultrasound-guided breast biopsies. Ultrasound Clin. Dec 2006; 1(4); 603-615.

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