Procedure
Excision and Biopsy at Parkhill Medical Centre
Biopsy is the best and most accurate way of diagnosing cancerous cells. It is a quick, in clinic procedure with minimal downtime. Skin excision is a procedure at Parkhill Medical Centre in which the practitioner removes a cancerous skin lesion and an area of surrounding tissue called the margin.
If you believe you may require this procedure, please discuss with your doctor during your next appointment.
Why is biopsy done?
A biopsy is performed to obtain pieces of tissue that are sent to the laboratory for examination of signs of cancer or other diseases. The biopsy sample is stained and examined under a microscope in the lab. This close examination allows the laboratory technician to determine if the sample is normal, part of a non-cancerous or benign tumor, or part of a cancerous or malignant tumor.
The type of cancer may also be identified at this time and can assist in evaluating the risk that the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. A biopsy may also be used to identify causes of inflammation and infection.
What is the process like?
Once the area is numbed with local anesthetic a small sample of skin is removed and sent to a specialist dermatopathologist who can diagnose the skin spot under the microscope.
Sometimes a larger piece of skin needs to be removed for the biopsy and will require stitches – this is particularly the case for moles that are suspected of being melanoma.