Excisional biopsy vs lumpectomy...

Time_hope

Hi all,

I was hoping someone could help clear up something for me.

Yesterday, I went in for what I thought was an excisional biopsy. The nurses and anesthesiologist all referred to it as a lumpectomy though. Are these two terms interchangeable? I thought I had read somewhere that they only call it a lumpectomy if cancer cells were present, but I am not sure if that is true.

Thanks!

avmom

Hi there.

My first surgery was described as a “wide excision biopsy”, too. The idea was that, instead of having a core needle biopsy, my surgeon would do a surgical biopsy that might end up being all of the surgery I would need - a lumpectomy. I think that the surgical procedure is the same, but if you haven’t yet had another biopsy procedure, it’s a “biopsy” and if you have biopsy confirmed cancer, it’s a “lumpectomy”.

In my case, the margins were not clear after the procedure, and I went on to have a mastectomy. That was probably a good thing, because an enormous amount of DCIS was found in that breast (8x8x3 cm) that was otherwise undetected through imaging, and I did not have a lump or other palpable abnormality.

That said, my “biopsy” went fine, and recovery was pretty fast and easy.

Very best wishes for a good outcome, and a quick recovery.

avmom

Tmh0921

The terms “excisional biopsy” and “lumpectomy” are often used interchangeably. They both basically are “excisions” of an area of concern.

Ingerp

They are the same procedure, but it’s an “excisional biopsy” after something like ALH/ADH is found to make sure there isn’t something nastier nearby (which happens about 20% of the time), and a “lumpectomy” after cancer has been detected. I wouldn’t worry about how the medical personnel are referring to it. “Excisional biopsy” is a mouthful!!

AliceBastable

If cancer has been diagnosed, people say lumpectomy instead of partial mastectomy. If it's to determine a diagnosis, it's lumpectomy instead of excisional biopsy.

Sometimes I wish there were two different terms, like when we cancer lumpies get the "Well, it's not like it was real cancer" reactions.

Beesie

Time_Hope, as others have said, the two terms are often used interchangeably. However more correctly, an excisional biopsy is when the surgery is being done as a biopsy in order to make a diagnosis, and a lumpectomy is when the surgery is being done after a diagnosis of cancer has already been made. Lumpectomy and partial mastectomy are also the same operation, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably (often driven by insurance considerations, since insurance companies may not pay for the same operation twice).

Because the basic procedure is the same, for the sake of administrative simplicity some hospitals choose to only the use the term 'lumpectomy', regardless of whether the surgery is a biopsy or a cancer surgery. This allows them to have just one set of procedural documents for both types of surgeries. It is confusing to patients and personally I think it's inappropriate because the two surgeries have very different meanings, but it's not surprising that some hospitals choose to prioritize administration.