A biopsy means a doctor removes a small piece of suspicious tissue so that a pathologist can examine it under a microscope; in most cases, only a biopsy can show for certain whether cancer is present [1]. The pathology result is usually ready within 10 days of the biopsy [2]. If genetic tests on the tumour are also needed, their result may come later; in lung cancer, for example, the aim is to have this result ready at most two weeks after the sample reaches the laboratory [4].
Key points
- In most cases, a doctor can only be sure that cancer is present with a biopsy; blood tests or scans alone are not enough [1].
- Depending on the type of biopsy, only the area is numbed, or you are given a sedative or general anaesthetic [1].
- If you take a blood thinner such as warfarin, aspirin or clopidogrel, tell your doctor before the biopsy and do not stop it on your own [10].
- Results are usually ready within 10 days; special stains and genetic tests can take longer [2, 4].
- Worry while waiting is very common and eases quickly after a benign result [7]; most breast biopsies are also benign [5].
What is a biopsy?
A biopsy is a procedure in which a doctor removes a small sample of abnormal tissue [1]. A doctor who specialises in diagnosing disease from tissue (a pathologist) examines this tissue under the microscope and runs other tests on the cells [1]. No single test can diagnose cancer, and blood tests alone cannot say for sure whether someone has cancer; this is why a biopsy is needed in most cases [1].
The findings are written up in the "pathology report". To find out what each part of it says, read: How to read your pathology report
Types of biopsy
| Method | How it is done | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Needle biopsy | The doctor draws out tissue or fluid with a needle; a very fine needle (FNA) removes only cells, and a slightly thicker needle (core) removes thin strips of tissue [1, 5, 6] | Some breast, prostate and liver biopsies, and thyroid nodules [1, 6] |
| Endoscopic biopsy | A thin, lighted tube (an endoscope) is passed in through the mouth or anus, and the doctor takes a piece from the inside [1] | Large bowel (colonoscopy) and lungs (bronchoscopy) [1] |
| Surgical biopsy | The surgeon removes the whole abnormal area, often with some healthy tissue around it (excisional), or just part of it (incisional) [1] | When a needle biopsy is not possible or not enough |
| Bone marrow biopsy | Some bone marrow is drawn out with a needle [1] | Blood cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma |
| Liquid biopsy | A blood test that looks for pieces of tumour DNA; its result comes in a separate report [2] | A blood sample |
Your doctor chooses the most suitable method depending on where the lump is and on your situation.
Read more about liquid biopsy: Liquid biopsy and circulating tumour DNA. If you are worried that a biopsy might spread cancer, read: Does a biopsy cause cancer to spread?
Does a biopsy hurt? Getting ready for a biopsy
Depending on the type of biopsy, only the small area may be numbed (local anaesthetic), a part of the body such as an arm or leg may be numbed, or a general anaesthetic may be needed; some biopsies are also done with a sedative [1]. In a study of women having a needle biopsy of the breast, pain gradually increased during the procedure; but when the staff stayed with the patient with empathy, or the patient did a relaxation exercise guided by a trained person, pain rose less. Anxiety also did not rise with empathy and went down with relaxation [9].
Before the biopsy, tell your doctor:
- If you take a blood thinner or an antiplatelet drug, such as warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel, rivaroxaban or apixaban. Stopping these drugs carries a risk of blood clots, and continuing them a risk of bleeding; so your doctor decides based on the type of biopsy and the reason you take the drug [10]. For a simple endoscopy with biopsy, guidelines usually advise continuing aspirin [10]. Do not stop any drug on your own.
- If you have a drug allergy or are pregnant.
How long do pathology results take?
The pathologist usually sends the result to your doctor within 10 days of the biopsy or surgery [2]. The tissue must first be prepared, cut and stained, and this usually takes several days [2]. In a survey of small hospitals, mostly in the US, pathologists reported most routine samples by the second working day, and most surgeons received the written report by the fourth working day [3].
A few things can make the result take longer:
- Special stains (IHC) to find the exact type of tumour or its receptors [2].
- Genetic tests on the tumour: the guideline on genetic testing in lung cancer sets a target of one week, and at most two working weeks, after the sample reaches the laboratory; if the sample is sent to another laboratory, that time is added too [4].
A result can be delayed for several reasons; for example, the pathologist may have asked for further tests that are still in progress [2]. So a delay on its own does not tell you what the result is. One important step: when you have the biopsy, ask when the result will be ready and who will tell you.
Rapid result during surgery: sometimes the surgeon sends a piece during the operation for a "frozen section", whose result is ready in about 15 to 20 minutes; but the final result still takes several days [2].
Biopsy results: benign, malignant or inconclusive
| Result | What it means | What usually happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Benign | No cancer was seen; a benign tumour does not invade nearby tissue and does not spread [11] | Your doctor compares the result with the scans and tells you the follow-up plan [5] |
| Atypia, or a high-risk lesion | Abnormal cells that are not cancer but raise the risk of cancer in the future [5] | In the breast, usually removal of that area with surgery, because sometimes a cancer is hidden next to it [5] |
| Nondiagnostic, or Inconclusive | The sample was not enough for a diagnosis, or the findings are not definite [6] | More tests or another biopsy [2, 5] |
| Suspicious for malignancy | Cancer is likely but not certain [6] | Your doctor decides on more tests, another biopsy or surgery [2] |
| Malignant | Cancer is confirmed; a malignant tumour can invade nearby tissue and spread [11] | Additional tests on the sample and staging; see the section "What happens if a biopsy is positive?" |
Coping with the worry of waiting
If you feel worried and restless while waiting for your result, you are not alone. Studies show that most people waiting for the result of tests for cancer feel a lot of anxiety; this anxiety eases quickly after a benign result [7]. People who tend to get anxious easily, or who have a history of illness, may feel more worried [8].
These things help many people:
- Ask when the result will be ready and how you will be told, so that you are not waiting for a call every day [2].
- Write down your questions, and take someone close to you along when you go to hear the result.
- Talk about your worries with someone you trust.
- A relaxation exercise can help ease anxiety; in one study, a relaxation exercise guided by a trained person lowered women's anxiety even during a breast biopsy [9].
- If the worry is so strong that it disturbs your sleep and work, tell your doctor.
Read more: Anxiety, depression and fear of cancer coming back
What happens if a biopsy is positive?
- 1
Talking with your doctor about the result
Your doctor goes through the pathology report with you: the type of tumour, its grade and the additional tests [2]. Read what grade means in What is cancer grade?
- 2
Additional tests on the same sample
Special stains and molecular or genetic tests on the tumour are usually done on the same tissue and help choose the treatment [2].
- 3
Working out the stage
With scans and other tests, your doctor finds out how far the cancer has reached [1]. Read more: What are the stages of cancer?
- 4
The treatment plan
Your doctor puts the pathology result and the stage together to recommend a treatment [2].
- 5
A second opinion, if you want one
You can ask another pathologist for an opinion by getting the slides and the paraffin block of the sample [2].
When should I contact my doctor?
- After the biopsy: increasing redness and pain at the site, cloudy fluid draining, or a fever; contact your doctor the same day [12].
- More than 10 days have passed and you still have no result; follow it up [2].
- Your result is "inconclusive", "suspicious" or "atypia"; book an appointment soon to decide on the next step [5, 6].
Bleeding that does not stop when you press on the site, sudden shortness of breath or severe pain: go to an emergency department straight away or call your local emergency number.
Frequently asked questions
How long do biopsy results take? Does a delay mean I have cancer?
Results are usually ready within 10 days [2]. A delay on its own does not tell you what the result is; sometimes further tests on the sample are still in progress, and genetic tests on the tumour may take longer; in lung cancer, for example, the aim is a result at most two weeks after the sample arrives [2, 4]. If more than 10 days have passed, follow it up.
Does having a biopsy mean I definitely have cancer?
My breast biopsy was benign; do I still need follow-up?
My biopsy result was "inconclusive" or "nondiagnostic"; what does that mean?
Does a biopsy cause cancer to spread?
This is a common worry. Read the full answer, and what studies of different biopsy methods have shown, here: Does a biopsy cause cancer to spread?
Should I stop my blood thinner before a biopsy?
Do not stop it on your own, and be sure to tell your doctor. Your doctor decides based on the type of biopsy and the reason you take the drug, because stopping it carries a risk of clots and continuing it a risk of bleeding [10].
Related pages
Turnaround times and antithrombotic drugs before a biopsy (for doctors)
For physicians
Pathology turnaround. The pathology report usually reaches the doctor within 10 days; a frozen section takes about 15 to 20 minutes [2]. In a College of American Pathologists Q-Probes study (5384 routine biopsies in 157 small hospitals), 85.9% of diagnoses were signed out by the second working day and 88.3% of hard-copy reports reached the surgeon by the fourth working day [3]. CAP/IASLC/AMP guideline 2013: EGFR and ALK results within at most 2 weeks (10 working days) of receipt in the testing laboratory, with a goal of 1 week (5 working days); laboratories with longer turnaround should provide a more rapid test in urgent cases; specimens with a final histopathological diagnosis should be sent to an outside molecular laboratory within 3 working days of the request and to an in-house laboratory within 24 hours [4].
Antithrombotic drugs and endoscopy (BSG/ESGE 2021). Diagnostic endoscopy with or without biopsy is low risk. Continue aspirin for all endoscopic procedures except ampullectomy. For low-risk procedures: continue P2Y12 inhibitors (single or DAPT); continue warfarin, making sure the INR does not exceed the therapeutic range in the week before the procedure; omit the morning dose of a DOAC on the day of the procedure. For high-risk procedures in patients at low thrombotic risk, stop P2Y12 inhibitors 7 days before. All patients should be told the thrombotic risk of stopping the drug and the bleeding risk of continuing it [10].
Thyroid cytology categories (Bethesda 2023). Six categories with a single name each: nondiagnostic, benign, atypia of undetermined significance, follicular neoplasm, suspicious for malignancy and malignant; each carries an implied risk of malignancy (average and range), and AUS has been simplified into two subgroups [6]. Atypical hyperplasia of the breast on needle biopsy: surgical excision is recommended; upgrade to cancer for ADH 15 to 30% or more [5].
Anxiety in the diagnostic phase. In a systematic review of 23 studies, anxiety was very prevalent, fell after a benign diagnosis and persisted or rose while waiting for results or after a cancer diagnosis; the rapid fall in anxiety in people without cancer favours rapid diagnostic programmes, but conflicting results prevent a conclusion for patients ultimately diagnosed with cancer [7]. In a review of 30 studies of the diagnostic phase of suspected breast cancer, medical history, education and trait anxiety were associated with distress, and an association with younger age was not substantiated [8]. In a randomised trial of 236 women undergoing large-core breast biopsy, anxiety rose with standard care, did not change with structured empathic attention and fell with self-hypnotic relaxation; pain rose in all three groups, but less steeply with hypnosis and empathy, without longer room time or higher cost [9].
References
12 referencesShow all references, 1 with a study cardClose the reference list
Numbers in the text, such as [1], refer to these sources. Sources with a “Study card” button are summarised in the site’s evidence library.
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- 12About Surgical Site Infections
This page is based on reputable scientific sources and was last updated on 28 October 2026. The content of this website is for educational and informational purposes only and does not replace consultation, diagnosis or treatment by a specialist physician. Consult your treating physician about any treatment decision.
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