1. Health

Discuss in my forum

Biopsy

By , About.com Guide

Updated October 20, 2009

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

Definition: the removal of a small amount of tissue, which can then be microscopically studied to screen for cancer or other diseases. There are several types of biopsies and they can be done on an outpatient or surgical basis. For example, minor skin lesion biopsies can be performed in an outpatient setting, while more invasive biopsies, as in diagnosing ovarian masses, require surgery.
Pronunciation: BY-op-see

©2013 About.com. All rights reserved.

We comply with the HONcode standard
for trustworthy health
information: verify here.