Having a biopsy Section 5

What is a biopsy? A biopsy means taking a small tissue sample from somewhere in the body In this case the sample will be taken from your breast A Doctor will look at the sample very closely under the microscope Not all women need to have a biopsy

What happens if I need to have this test? If you need a biopsy the doctor will need to take a small sample of tissue from your breast

What is tissue? Tissue is a group of cells that work together to protect your body

Will this hurt? The Doctor will give you an injection which will numb your breast The injection may sting a little bit

What happens next? The Doctor may need to use the Ultrasound scanning machine again Or they may need to use the x-ray machine to help them find the area in your breast they’ve been looking for

Taking the sample When the injection has worked, your breast will feel numb This is so the test will not hurt you The Doctor will take a couple of tissue samples from the breast with a needle

Will I feel scared? The Doctor and Nurse will tell you about everything they do

What do I do if I want to STOP? Tell the Doctor or Nurse if you want to STOP the test at any time

After the test The Nurse will put a plaster where the tissue sample was taken from, when the doctor has finished Keep the plaster on when you go to bed . This will help to stop any bruising The Nurse will give you an information sheet telling you what to do if you are worried or if it bleeds again a bit later

What happens to the tissue sample? The Doctor will send this off to the laboratory so it can be checked

Getting Dressed When the Doctors and Nurses have finished you can go to the changing room and get dressed

What do I do now? The Nurse will give you another appointment to come back for the results of your tests You will need to come back in about a week Breast Test Wales

What if I have any questions? The Nurse will give you her telephone number You can ring her at anytime if you have any questions