QUESTION: A friend of mine told me of a recent experience with her physician during which he performed a biopsy using a needle which he injected into her thyroid gland.
She was happy that no cancer was found.
I know that a biopsy requires the doctor to cut some tissue, to obtain a sample for testing.
How do I tell my friend that she has been misled?
ANSWER: You don't have to because she hasn't.
In essence, her story is completely understandable when you realize that all biopsies do not require removing tissue by surgical techniques.
The object of course is to obtain cell specimens that may be examined under a microscope, searching for signs of abnormal growth that signal the presence of cancer.
In some cases these cells may occur in urine and sputum, or be obtained by scraping (for example, the technique used for a Pap smear).
When cancer is suspected in the bronchial tubes, a technique known as "washing" is used to gather material for examination.
While the most common use of the word "biopsy" relates to obtaining specimens by excision, it may also apply to the method used by your friend's physician.
It is called "Aspiration Biopsy" and is frequently used to search for cancer in the thyroid.
In this technique, the physician inserts a fine needle into the mass, and rather than injecting anything applies suction through the syringe, while moving the needle back and forth in the suspicious mass.
In this way cells are loosened and sucked back into needle. This material may then be used to prepare a slide for microscopic examination. While the number of cells are few, an accurate diagnosis can be made in most cases.
The procedure is rapid, safe, and does not leave a scar.
If necessary it may be easily repeated, as it does not require hospitalization or special equipment.
You can now relax and be confident that the good news your friend received from her doctor was valid.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
