Every patient’s unique situation is taken into consideration when deciding upon the need for a biopsy. Some lesions are not palpable or are near structures that make a biopsy without accompanying imaging risky.
In these cases, imaging guidance is required. Depending upon the location of the lesion, some are better accessed by CT and others by ultrasound. We try to do as many as possible under ultrasound, since there is no radiation exposure. However, not all lesions can be seen well with ultrasound and CT is used in these cases. In some cases, the lesion is not able to biopsied by a radiologist, and for those cases, the biopsy may have to be done in the operating room. Prior to biopsy, the radiologist will discuss with the surgeon the appropriate area of the tumor to sample and the location of the biopsy tract.