The Difference Between a Surgical and a Needle Biopsy

By Vera Viner

Imagine you find yourself at your primary care doctor’s office for an annual check-up and your physician finds a lump in your breast during an exam. You may immediately think “CANCER!” However, this is not always the case. It is possible that an infection or some other mishap occurred to cause this lump. Regardless, the only way to determine whether you may have cancer or an infection is to perform a biopsy.

There are two different types of biopsies to choose from – a surgical and a needle biopsy. You may ask, ‘Which one is a better choice for me?’ Your doctor will help determine the answer to this question. The New York Times reported on a new study that urges women to undergo needle biopsies when a breast lump is found or your mammogram looks abnormal.

The Times stated that needle biopsies are “safer, less invasive, and cheaper.” Researchers in Florida found that as much as 30 percent of women with abnormalities in their breast undergo surgical biopsies when the recommended amount is 10 percent or less. This is a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Additionally, approximately 80 percent of these biopsies are found to be cancer-free. However, the women who are diagnosed with breast cancer will have to undergo two surgical procedures instead of one.

Some major differences between needle and surgical biopsies is that surgical ones require an inch-long incision, stitches, and general anesthesia. It leaves a scar while needle biopsies requires a local anesthetic, no stitches, and lends itself to less risk of infection and scarring. The costs of a needle biopsy range from $5,000 to $6,000 while an open biopsy will cost between $10,000 to $12,000.

“I see it all the time,” Dr. Elisa R. Port, the chief of breast surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan, explained to the source that surgeons are regularly performing open biopsies. “People are causing harm and should be held accountable.”

A surgical biopsy involves cutting into the breast to remove tissue that looks abnormal. A needle biopsy, on the other hand, is performed by inserting a needle into the abnormal part of the breast and removing a small part of the surrounding tissue. The sample can then be examined under the microscope to determine whether the patient has cancer. Both needle and surgical biopsies are equally accurate. There may be certain times an open biopsy is more beneficial, but most of the time, a needle biopsy can determine the results accurately.

Essentially, needle biopsies are safer to perform, have less risk of infection or bleeding, and are less invasive than surgical options. Next time you find a surgeon telling you that you need to undergo a surgical biopsy to determine whether you have breast cancer, ask them why a needle biopsy wouldn’t work. If you are unsure whether a surgical biopsy is necessary when you’ve been given this as your only option, you may want to get a second opinion.