Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
A needle biopsy is a procedure to obtain a sample of cells from your body for laboratory testing. Common needle biopsy procedures include fine-needle aspiration and core needle biopsy. Needle biopsy may be used to take tissue or fluid samples from muscles, bones and organs, such as the liver or lungs.
References
- Biopsy — What to expect. Cancer.Net. http://www.cancer.net/patient/All+About+Cancer/Cancer.Net+Features/Treatments%2C+Tests%2C+and+Procedures/Biopsy%26mdash%3BWhat+to+Expect. Accessed July 23, 2012.
- Biopsies. RadiologyInfo.org. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=BiopGen. Accessed July 23, 2012.
- Q&A: What you should know before surgery. American Society of Anesthesiologists. http://www.lifelinetomodernmedicine.com/Anesthesia-Topics/QA-What-You-Should-Know-Before-Surgery.aspx. Accessed July 23, 2012.
- How to read your pathology report. MyBiopsy.org. http://www.cap.org/apps/docs/reference/myBiopsy/pathology_report.html. Accessed July 23, 2012.
Find Mayo Clinic on