When a scan or x-ray has been requested, this may sometimes show a suspicious area, such as a lump or a growth, Sometimes an examination itself can show a lump or growth. It is often not possible to tell exactly what the diagnosis is by looking at the scan results and sometimes not possible by examination. A biopsy may be necessary to make an accurate diagnosis - this is where aa tiny part of the growth is removed to be looked at under a microscope. A specialist pathologist assesses the cells in the biopsy sample and makes a diagnosis. In this way, biopsies are useful to diagnose cancer but they are also used to diagnose non-cancerous conditions.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/treatment-medication/biopsy