Stereotactic Needle Biopsy J. Taylor Whaley, MD The Abramson
Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania Last Modified:
March 21, 2012 What is a stereotactic needle biopsy? - A
stereotactic biopsy, also known as a stereotactic core needle
biopsy, is an outpatient procedure to obtain a tissue sample of
a suspicious lesion, or abnormality seen on a radiology scan but
difficult to feel on physical exam. - Stereotactic biopsies are
most frequently used for breast biopsies but are also used to
evaluate lung, liver, and brain abnormalities. - Because imaging
and radiology tests have improved dramatically, very small
lesions are frequently discovered. Unfortunately, it is often
very difficult to know whether the abnormality is benign or
cancerous, and it is very important to remember that just
because something is abnormal, it does not mean it is bad. The
majority of abnormalities seen on radiology tests turn out to be
benign findings; however, these lesions are often too small or
too deep to be felt by exam. Fo