Biopsy

A biopsy is a medical test to remove body tissue and look at it under a microscope. Samples can be from almost any part of the body, including skin and organs. 

A specialized doctor called a pathologist will examine the tissue in a laboratory. They will look at things like cell size, shape and activity. This will help:

• Find out if you have any abnormal cells
• Diagnose an illness
• Learn more about an illness 
• Decide on the best treatment
• Check if your treatment plan is working

People get biopsies for many reasons. Examples include:

• Checking if a lump is cancerous. 
• Finding the cause of swelling (inflammation) in organs.
• Identifying infections in places like the lymph node.
• Diagnosing a skin problem.

There are different ways to get a biopsy, depending on the type of tissue.  Your health care provider might use tools like an X-ray, CT scan, MRI scan, or ultrasound to guide the biopsy.