Frank J. Grosso, CRNP

A biopsy is a procedure performed to remove a small sample of cells for testing. The cells are examined in a laboratory to check for disease, or sometimes to see how badly a known disease is affecting them. Biopsy can be performed on any part of the body.

Breast biopsy is a procedure where a small sample of tissue is collected from the breast for testing. A physician may prescribe a breast biopsy for a variety of reasons, but they are most frequently prescribed for a lump found in the breast. Biopsy samples extracted are examined by pathologists in a laboratory setting and are tested to determine if they are cancerous or benign, or indicative of some other condition. Depending on the lab results, physicians may prescribe additional treatment. Other circumstances which may prompt a breast biopsy include:

• Mammograms that detect other unusual features in the chest, such as a cyst or calcium deposit
• Breast scans or ultrasounds that display abnormalities
• Nipple changes, such as scaling, crusting, or bloody discharge

Breast biopsies are collected through several different procedures and the specific type of biopsy that a patient receives depends on the size, location, and features of a breast lump or irregularity. The three main methods of collecting a breast biopsy include:

• Fine needle aspiration (FNA biopsy), where a thin needle is directed into a breast lump or abnormality, extracting a small sample of tissue or liquid
• Core needle biopsy (CNB biopsy), where a hollow needle is directed into a breast lump or abnormality, extracting cylinders of tissue called "cores"
• Open (surgical) biopsy, where a breast lump is removed through an incision in the breast

Pancreatectomy is surgery to remove part or all of the pancreas to treat pancreatitis, tumors, or cancer. The pancreas is located behind the stomach and near the small intestine and spleen. There are three sections of the pancreas:

• The head, which is the portion closest to the intestines
• The body, which is the middle portion of the pancreas
• The tail, which is the portion nearest the spleen

Pancreas removal procedures differ based on how much of the pancreas and surrounding organs are removed. There are three types of pancreatectomy:

• Distal pancreatectomy removes the tail and body of the pancreas. This procedure treats tumors confined to these areas.
• Pancreaticoduodenectomy, or the Whipple procedure, removes the pancreas, duodenum, bile duct, and, sometimes, part of the stomach. The Whipple procedure is used for pancreatic tumors that have not spread past the head of the pancreas and for other conditions affecting the pancreas, duodenum, and bile duct.
• Total pancreatectomy removes the whole pancreas along with the duodenum, gallbladder, parts of the stomach and bile duct, surrounding lymph nodes, and, potentially, the spleen. Rarely performed, total pancreatectomy treats conditions that involve the entire pancreas, such as tumors found in multiple sites on the pancreas, or for rare tumors such as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN).