Biopsy

“Your biopsy has been sent for histological analysis,” is a phrase familiar to many of us. What's behind it? A biopsy is a tiny piece of tissue taken by a doctor from a “suspected” location, for example, a tumor, a polyp, or a non-healing ulcer. Depending on where it is taken, different tools are used. This can be a thick needle, an endoscope (when examining the esophagus or stomach), a light guide (during bronchoscopy), or a regular scalpel (during surgery).

The main purpose of a biopsy is diagnosis. It allows you to determine whether you have to fight a benign or malignant process. This procedure is also used when monitoring the treatment of cancerous tumors.

Taking a biopsy correctly is a special art that requires experience and skill from the doctor. The result of the analysis and, accordingly, the choice of treatment tactics depend on the accuracy of its choice (and at the beginning of its existence, the malignant focus can be very tiny).

The pieces of tissue obtained through biopsy are sent to a special laboratory, where histological analysis is carried out. It is based on the fact that all cells of the body have a characteristic structure, depending on what tissue they belong to. With malignant degeneration, the picture changes radically: the internal structure of the cell is disrupted, it ceases to be similar to its neighbors. These disorders are usually so significant that they can be seen with an ordinary microscope.

But before examining the material taken during a biopsy, it must be processed in a special way: cut into very thin transparent slices (they are called sections) and stained. To prepare sections, a piece of tissue is first made hard (impregnated, for example, with paraffin), and then, secured in a special holder, it is cut using a special ultra-sharp knife - a microtome.

The resulting thin films are placed on small oblong pieces of glass and painted directly on them. There are quite a few methods of coloring, but they have one thing in common - they are all carried out in several stages.

When the stained specimen is under the eyepiece of a microscope, a pathologist - a doctor of extremely important specialization in medicine - comes into play. Having assessed the characteristics of the cells being studied, he makes his verdict: benign or malignant tissue was taken for biopsy.

Thus, a biopsy is an important procedure that allows you to establish a diagnosis and choose the right treatment tactics. The future fate of the patient depends on the accuracy of its implementation.