According to the Mayo Clinic, a biopsy is defined as a procedure removing a piece of tissue or sample of cells from the body in order to be analyzed in a laboratory. In the case of breast cancer, a biopsy is necessary to clinically ascertain whether an abnormality shows the presence of cancerous cells.

Therefore, once an abnormality appears, such as a suspicious lump in the breasts or underarm area, a diagnostic test is needed so the doctor can see if a tumor is actually developing.

For breast cancer diagnosing, mammograms are the most common diagnostic test. If a mammogram’s results indicate a lump or mass in the breast that could be cancerous, a biopsy should then be ordered by your doctor. There are several ways that biopsy procedures are performed on the breast, but in each method, a pathologist ultimately has to microscopically examine the extracted tissue or cells to officially diagnose breast cancer.

If you or a loved one has breast cancer and have been harmed because of your doctor’s failure to diagnose the disease as early as possible, please request a copy of our free book, I Have Cancer…Should It Have Been Caught Earlier?, and contact an experienced Fulton County medical malpractice lawyer at the Dover Law Firm at 770-518-1133 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your situation.