A biopsy is a sample of tissue taken from the body in order to examine it more closely. Your doctor should recommend a biopsy when initial tests suggests an area of tissue in the body that appears abnormal.
Doctors may call an area of abnormal tissue a lesion, a tumor, or a mass.
Biopsies are most often done to look for signs of cancer. But biopsies can also help identify other conditions.
A biopsy might be recommended by your doctor whenever a biopsy may lead to additional information about your health, such as as mole on the skin that has changed shape recently and melanoma is possible.
