Biopsy incision not over the lump?

Worrywart422

Just had my breast biopsy yesterday. It was a really good experience, and I loved the whole team. The Radiologist was very comforting and told me he suspected that the mass was not cancerous.

During the procedure he did seem to have some trouble locating the mass, but he seemed confidant that he got it. The lump that is palpable and was seen on mammo and Ultasound is closer to my chest/ribs and described as in the three o'clock position from the nipple. Just took my bandages off and the steristrips covering the biopsy site are not over the lump. They are more mid breast and under the nipple. Is this normal? Do they usually go in another spot to allow access to the lump while inside the breast? Where would the marker be then? Feeling a bit confused, and concerned that they biopsied the wrong area. He kept saying it was hard to see because it looked like the other breast tissue. Is it possible he was in breast tissue and not the mass???

MelissaDallas

No, they don't necessarily go "straight down" and may go in at a different angle. The post biopsy imaging would indicate whether the biopsy marker was placed in the targeted area.

gb2115

Yes, I think if they are happy with the clip placement (which they should have checked after your procedure), it's fine. I had an area biopsied via MRI on the left side of my breast, and they went in through the right side and went all the way through. They go in however they need to.

NotVeryBrave

Same here. Tumor was at 12 o'clock and they went in the side of the breast. I was pretty perplexed because you could feel the lump very easily and it seemed like a much greater distance to transverse.

OTMom

Yep, both biopsies were off to one side, not over the spots. Lumpectomy scar is actually lower than the lump, but they clearly were working in the right spot because it's numb and painful and weird in the spot above it where my lump was.