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By Mayo Clinic staffBefore the breast biopsy, tell your doctor if you:
- Have any allergies
- Have taken aspirin in the last seven days
- Are taking blood-thinning medications (anticoagulants)
- Are unable to lie on your stomach for an extended period of time
If your biopsy will be done using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), tell your doctor if you have a cardiac pacemaker or other electronic device implanted in your body or if you're pregnant or think you may be pregnant. MRI generally isn't recommended under these circumstances.
Wear a bra to your appointment. Your health care team may place a cold pack against the biopsy site after the procedure, and the bra can hold the cold pack in place and provide support for your breast.
- Valea FA, et al. Breast diseases: Diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant disease. In: Katz VL, et al. Comprehensive Gynecology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-4/0/1524/0.html. Accessed June 21, 2011.
- James JJ, et al. The breast. In: Adam A, et al. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-10163-2..X5001-5--TOP&isbn=978-0-443-10163-2&uniqId=259733166-219. Accessed June 21, 2011.
- For women facing a breast biopsy. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/003176-pdf.pdf. Accessed June 21, 2011.
- MRI-guided breast biopsy. RadiologyInfo.org. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=breastbimr. Accessed June 21, 2011.
- Ultrasound-guided breast biopsy. RadiologyInfo.org. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=breastbius. Accessed June 21, 2011.
- Pathology reports. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/pathology-reports. Accessed June 21, 2011.
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