When a  mammogram  shows an abnormality in the breast, a biopsy of the tissue is often ordered to determine if the tissue is cancerous or benign.

Three different minimally invasive procedures are available with one state-of-the-art system to obtain breast tissue samples for biopsy at the Women's Health Center. These outpatient procedures can detect early stage breast cancer with less pain and scarring associated with older methods of breast biopsy. Your physician will determine which procedure is right for you.

A surgeon and a technologist will perform the procedure, using a computer to guide the surgeon as he obtains the tissue with a small biopsy probe. Local anesthesia is all that's required and the procedure only lasts about an hour.