Diagnostic procedures help doctors determine whether an abnormality is cancerous and obtain the information needed to plan appropriate care. Imaging and physical examination may identify a suspicious area, but a tissue sample is often required to establish a definitive diagnosis and determine the type and biological characteristics of the cancer.
Read MoreApollo Cancer Centres offers diagnostic procedures to obtain tissue for examination and help accurately identify abnormalities during subsequent imaging or surgery.
A biopsy involves removing cells or a small tissue sample from a suspicious area for examination by a pathologist. Depending on the site and the amount of tissue required, it may be performed using a fine needle, core needle, vacuum-assisted device, endoscope, or surgical technique, with imaging guidance when necessary. Biopsy findings can confirm whether an abnormality is cancerous and may provide information about the cancer type, grade, biomarkers, and molecular characteristics that guide treatment.
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Wire localisation helps the surgeon identify a small or non-palpable abnormality that cannot be easily felt during surgery, most commonly in the breast. Using mammography, ultrasound, or MRI guidance, a radiologist positions a fine wire in or close to the abnormality before surgery. The wire serves as a guide to the targeted area and is usually removed along with the tissue, which is then examined by a pathologist.
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Clip placement involves positioning a small marker at the site of an imaging abnormality or biopsy so that the area can be identified during future imaging, localisation, surgery, or treatment planning. It is commonly used in breast care and may also be used at selected tumour or lymph-node sites elsewhere in the body. The clip is placed using image guidance, is designed to remain safely in the body, and does not itself deliver medicine or radiation.
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How Diagnostic Procedures Fit into Your Overall Care Plan
A diagnostic procedure may be recommended after an abnormality is identified through screening, clinical examination, endoscopy, or imaging. The aim is to obtain enough information to establish or exclude a cancer diagnosis and guide the next step in care.
If a biopsy confirms cancer, the pathology findings are considered together with imaging, laboratory results, and clinical assessment. Additional biomarker or molecular testing may be performed when the results could influence treatment. The case may then be reviewed by a multidisciplinary tumour board to determine the appropriate treatment plan.
A marker clip may be placed so that the biopsied site can be located during follow-up imaging or treatment, particularly if the abnormality is small or expected to change after systemic therapy. If surgery is recommended for an abnormality that cannot be felt, wire localisation may help the surgeon identify the correct area. The tissue removed during surgery is then examined by pathology.
An inconclusive biopsy does not automatically mean that cancer is absent. Repeat biopsy, a different biopsy method, surgical removal, or imaging follow-up may be recommended when the sample is inadequate or the pathology result does not match the clinical or imaging findings.
