OVERVIEW
What is biopsy?
It is a medical test which involves removing a small sample of tissue from a part of the body and suspecting/looking it under the microscope for any pathology (disease state). This helps doctor look into tiny cells making up the sample tissue and helps specialist diagnose any kind of disease or condition that might be present.
What is biopsy for h/p with history lab test?
In this laboratory test, a tissue sample from the stomach lining is taken and biopsy is performed. It is the best possible way for determining whether you have an H pylori infection or not. The tissue sample is taken via a procedure called endoscopy (long, thin tube directly inserted into the body).
Why is biopsy for h/p with history lab test done?
The test is performed:
• When suspecting a stomach ulcer or other troublesome stomach symptoms.
• It helps examine stomach tissue closely so one can look for any infection or pathological condition
• If you experience symptoms like pain in upper stomach, loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting, unexplained weight loss, & black stools
• Detects/diagnoses cancer and infections like Helicobacter pylori infection (causes ulcers in stomach)
• As it helps to make sure that the lump or growth inside the body is whether cancerous or non-cancerous.
• As it is accurate way of determining H.pylori infection which if left untreated leads to complications like stomach cancer
• It is helpful for assessing how severe the condition is.
Biopsy is indicated after doctor has ordered a scan or X-ray and scan is showing a lump or growth inside the body.
Since here, we are looking for H-pylori infection, therefore stomach tissue is collected via endoscopy technique (gastroscopy)
Firstly, a long, flexible tube with an endoscope (small camera) is inserted down the throat & esophagus and into the stomach & duodenum (upper small intestine)
Here, doctor views stomach irregularities if present and removes tissue samples for examination
Three or more biopsy specimens are then sent to the laboratory for analysis under a microscope
The specialist treats small specimens with chemical, cut into thin slices, & slices then stained and looked under microscope for cancerous cells & signs of inflammation
- Does biopsy mean cancer?
Mostly biopsy is ordered with cancer, but it isn’t always important. Doctors also order biopsy if they want to look whether the abnormality inside the body is due to cancer or some other condition
- Do biopsies help detect the cancer stage?
Biopsy results help by telling us what type of cancer exists and how aggressive the cancer is i.e. cancer’s grade
- What is meant by biopsy positive?
A positive or involved margin result means that cancer cells are present in the margins in the sample. And it likely suggests that cancerous cells are still in the body.
- Is further testing required in biopsy?
Depending upon how complex your cancer is, doctor can order additional tests to determine the cancer subtype. This can additionally take 24 to 96 hours.
- What does stage 2 cancer mean?
It means that larger tumors or cancer have grown deeply into the nearby tissues. Here cancer may have spread to lymph nodes but not to other parts of the body.
You get biopsy test if your doctor suspects that there is a H-pylori infection or other stomach abnormality and via small tissue removal from stomach lining, looks for cancerous cells & signs of inflammation.