Surgical Biopsy
Diagnostic Procedures

The most common and surest way to diagnose cancer is to remove and examine a section of suspect tissue in the laboratory. At Sutter Cancer Centers, skilled surgeons and surgical oncologists perform biopsies using a number of methods, including traditional and minimally invasive surgical techniques. For minimally invasive biopsies, doctors use scopes with small cameras and surgical tools that allow them to move through the colon or esophagus or to insert the scopes through very small incisions. When suspect tissue is located, the scopes can remove small amounts of tissue for examination by Sutter Cancer Center's trained pathologists. Variations of surgical removal include stereotactic core biopsy for breast cancer where a hollow needle is directed into the tumor to remove a sample. Fine-needle aspiration may also be used to extract a fluid sample from a fluid-filled tumor.

Advances in computed-tomography (CT) imaging have opened another avenue for doctors to perform core sample biopsies and fine-needle aspirations, especially when suspect tissue is located near the intestines or major nerves and arteries. CT scans showing the tissue and the location of the needle allow surgeons to place the needle carefully and remove a tissue sample or fluid for examination.