Has your vet recommended a biopsy or Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA)? Understand the purpose behind each test so you can confidently make the best decision for your animal.
The term biopsy refers to the collection of a chunk of tumour tissue that can be performed by a surgical technique or using a special large needle that allows taking a portion of tumour tissue. The sample can be collected after resecting the entire tumour or a portion with a biopsy sample. A biopsy is often necessary before or without removing cancer when knowing the type of tumour is essential for planning surgical resection or tailored medical or radiotherapy treatment.
Histopathology or histology is a laboratory technique that uses the microscope to visualise a sample of abnormal tissue, organ, or a tumour from the patient. The sample is processed and fixed onto a microscope slide before being analysed at the microscope.
Biopsy Advantages:
– A biopsy collects a small piece of tumour or abnormal tissue, allowing observation of the full cellular arrangement and tissue architecture, which leads to a more accurate and reliable diagnosis.
– In veterinary medicine, histopathology is the gold standard for diagnosing most cancers. Through histologic analysis, a biopsy can also provide tumour grading, helping determine how aggressive the tumour is—information essential for treatment planning and prognosis.
– Biopsy samples can also undergo IHC (immunohistochemistry) to identify the origin of tumour cells, classify tumour subtypes, and determine whether a tumour is primary or metastatic, offering deeper and more precise diagnostic insights.
– Although biopsy is more invasive and often requires general anesthesia, in many cases it provides significantly greater diagnostic value than cytology alone, allowing the medical team to develop the most accurate and appropriate treatment strategy for the patient.
