1. Having a biopsy
Section 5

2. 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

3. 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

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

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

6. 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

7. 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

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

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

10. 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

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

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

13. 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

14. 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