Which statement is true regarding biopsy methods in suspected cancer?

Which statement is true regarding biopsy methods in suspected cancer?

• A. Excisional biopsy is performed before establishing a diagnosis.
• B. Fine-needle aspiration and core-needle biopsy both use a needle.
• C. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is done before confirming cancer.
• D. Excisional biopsy always removes the entire lesion.

Answer: (B)

Biopsy methods in suspected cancer center on obtaining tissue to confirm or rule out malignancy. Both fine-needle aspiration and core-needle biopsy use a needle to collect samples. Fine-needle aspiration pulls out individual cells for cytology, which is less invasive but may provide less architectural detail. Core-needle biopsy uses a larger needle to take a tissue core, preserving tissue structure for histologic assessment and often providing more information for diagnosis and treatment planning. The other statements don’t fit typical practice. Excisional biopsy is not necessarily performed before establishing a diagnosis; it can be done to remove an entire lesion when it’s small or for diagnostic purposes, but the biopsy procedure itself is what provides the tissue to establish diagnosis. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is used after a cancer diagnosis to assess spread, not before confirming cancer. Excisional biopsy does not always remove the entire lesion; sometimes only part is removed (incisional biopsy) depending on the lesion’s size and location.

Biopsy methods in suspected cancer center on obtaining tissue to confirm or rule out malignancy. Both fine-needle aspiration and core-needle biopsy use a needle to collect samples. Fine-needle aspiration pulls out individual cells for cytology, which is less invasive but may provide less architectural detail. Core-needle biopsy uses a larger needle to take a tissue core, preserving tissue structure for histologic assessment and often providing more information for diagnosis and treatment planning.

The other statements don’t fit typical practice. Excisional biopsy is not necessarily performed before establishing a diagnosis; it can be done to remove an entire lesion when it’s small or for diagnostic purposes, but the biopsy procedure itself is what provides the tissue to establish diagnosis. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is used after a cancer diagnosis to assess spread, not before confirming cancer. Excisional biopsy does not always remove the entire lesion; sometimes only part is removed (incisional biopsy) depending on the lesion’s size and location.