During a surgical biopsy, a surgeon makes an incision in your skin to access the suspicious area of cells. Examples of surgical biopsy procedures include surgery to remove a breast lump for a possible breast cancer diagnosis and surgery to remove a lymph node for a possible lymphoma diagnosis. Surgical biopsy procedures can be used to remove part of an abnormal area of cells (incisional biopsy).
Blood cancer is a type of cancer or tumor. Blood cancer hurts the blood, bone marrow, lymph, and lymphatic system. Sometimes more than one body part is hurt. The cause is usually different from other types of cancer. The way to find out if a person has this cancer is also different. The treatment is usually drugs. People with blood cancers see a kind of doctor called a hematologist (blood doctor) or oncologist (cancer doctor).
Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer related to lymphoma and leukemia. Though it canât usually be cured, there are treatments that slow down its spread. In multiple myeloma, a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell multiplies unusually. Normally, they make antibodies that help fight infections. But in multiple myeloma, they release too much protein (called immunoglobulin) into the bones and blood. It builds up throughout the body, causing organ damage.