Tests for Skin Cancer
Biopsy
A biopsy is a surgical procedure for removing a sample of tissue so that it can be examined under a microscope by a pathologist in a lab. A pathologist is a doctor who has been specially trained in the microscopic examination and diagnosis of tissue samples.
The type of biopsy you have depends on the type of skin cancer your doctor suspects you may have:
- An incision procedure, such as a shave biopsy, removes only a sliver of the skin lesion to obtain a diagnosis. Shave biopsies are only done for non-malignant lesions or non-melanoma skin cancer.
- A suspicious mole that is suggestive of melanoma is removed by excisional biopsy. This removes the entire mole as well as the immediate skin surrounding the mole.
- A punch biopsy is done using a pencil-like instrument that removes a small, thin cylinder of tissue for exam. The hole is then stitched closed.
More on Skin Cancer
Detecting and Diagnosing Skin Cancer
In the Encyclopedia:
Skin cancer, non-melanoma
Kaposi's sarcoma
Malignant melanoma
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
Sunburn
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