WHAT IS THIS TEST USED FOR?
- BIOPSY: There are various types of biopsy that can be used to help identify a wide range of health conditions. How a biopsy is carried out will depend on where the tissue sample is being taken.
- SPECIMEN: The tissue sample removed during a biopsy is called a specimen. The medical staff who perform biopsy place the specimen in a container with a fluid that preserves it. The container is labeled with the patient's name and other details.
- LIMB-SALVAGE SURGERY: Surgery performed to remove all of the cancer and still leave a working leg or arm. Most patients with bone cancer in a limb are able to have their limbs spared.
WHAT DOES THE TEST MEASURE?
Histology is the study of tissues and pathology is the study of disease. The tissue that is studied comes from a biopsy or surgical procedure and then sent to the laboratory. It is then processed and cut into very thin layers called sections, stained and examined under the microscope to characterize the details of the cells in the tissues.
The histopathological report contains the diagnosis determined by examining cells and tissues under a microscope. The report may also contain information about the shape, size, and appearance of a Specimen.
Q1. How is the test performed?
A surgical procedure that usually requires a hospital stay of a few days, depending on the surgery and complications. The procedure itself may vary, depending on the size of the specimen and the patient’s general health.
Q2. Is there any risk associated with this test?
It is a surgical procedure that requires general or spinal anesthesia. So risk factors of anesthesia are present, also the health of the patient plays an important role.
Q3. Does a biopsy mean cancer?
This is a very common question. A Biopsy is just a diagnostic test to determine if the area is cancerous or not.
Q4. What are the signs and symptoms of cancer?
Visit your doctor, if you see any of the following symptoms
- Change in bowel or bladder habits.
- A sore that does not heal.
- Unusual bleeding or discharge.
- Thickening or lump in the breast or elsewhere.
- Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing.
INTERPRETATION OF THE REPORT:
Findings from the examination of the tissues are linked to the prognosis. Prognostic indicators may include tumor grade and extent of spread. Grading systems differ depending on the kind of cancer being graded, but generally, the cells are scored based on how abnormal they appear under the microscope, with Grade 1 tumors being more normal looking and Grade 4 tumors reflecting more abnormalities. Grading is not the same as staging. Staging has more to do with where the cancer is found in the body and how far it has spread.
WHY GET TESTED?
Biopsies are most often done to look for cancer. But biopsies can help identify many other conditions. The report gives a diagnosis based on the pathologist's examination of a sample of tissue taken from the patient’s tumor.