A biopsy is an invasive surgical procedure used to diagnose or
rule out cancer. If your doctor has reason to suspect that your
child has cancer, he can take a sample of tissue from your
child's body - a biopsy - to examine. Types of biopsies Many
people have heard of a biopsy in relation to breast cancer -
where a small piece of the breast lump is removed for
examination. But biopsies can also be done on other types of
tissue as well. - Bone marrow biopsies are used to collect a
small sample of bone marrow - Colposcopies are used to collect a
small sample of cervical tissue - Endoscopic biopsies are used
to collect a small sample of tissue from the mouth or anus -
Excisional biopsies are used to remove an entire lump (as in
breast cancer) - Incisional biopsies are used to remove a small
piece of a lump (as in a muscle) - Needle biopsies use a
hypodermic needle to remove a small sample of a lump - Punch
biopsies are used to collect a skin sample - Stereotactic
biopsies use x-rays to guide a needle to a lump th