A skin biopsy is a routine procedure that’s done any time you have a suspicious-looking mole or worrisome changes in a skin lesion. The board-certified physicians at Family Medical Doctors in Trinity, Florida, have extensive experience performing skin biopsies. Your biopsy only requires a local anesthetic and is done in the office, then you can get back to your daily schedule. If you notice changes in a mole or you’d like to schedule a skin exam, use the online booking feature or call the office today.
Your provider at Family Medical Doctors performs a skin biopsy when you have a lesion that looks suspicious for cancer. Biopsies are also routinely performed on any lesion that’s removed from your skin to be sure it doesn’t contain cancerous cells.
You may need a biopsy for skin lesions such as:
Most of these conditions are usually harmless. Moles are the exception. Moles can turn into melanoma, the rarest but deadliest type of skin cancer.
The two most common types of skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma — are also identified by skin lesions. For example, you might notice a raised pink patch that forms a crust, a pink or red bump, or dry, scaly lesions.
The team at Family Medical Doctors follows strict standards for safely performing your skin biopsy. After cleaning the area and injecting a local anesthetic, they remove the targeted lesion using one of these techniques:
When your biopsy is finished, the skin sample goes to a pathology lab where it’s examined under a microscope. The lab specialists identify all the cells in the sample, including any that are precancerous or cancerous.
The next step depends on your lab results. In most cases, the lesion is free of cancer cells. If your lab results show you had skin cancer, but all the cancer was removed, you won’t need further treatment.
In the event the lab results show you may have some residual cancer cells in your skin, you will need additional treatment. At that point, your provider talks with you about your results and the next step.
If you have a skin lesion that changes in appearance, call Family Medical Doctors or schedule an appointment online to learn if you might need a skin biopsy.
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