Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) Procedure Specialist in Kissimmee, FL, and Orlando, FL

A fine needle aspiration (FNA) involves removing a small amount of breast tissue or fluid from a suspicious area and testing it for cancer cells with a thin, hollow needle. It is sometimes possible to perform this type of biopsy if other tests suggest breast cancer (although a core needle biopsy is generally preferred). It can also be used in other situations.

An FNA involves withdrawing (aspiration) a small amount of breast tissue or fluid from an area of suspicion using a hollow needle attached to a syringe.

When the suspicious area is likely to be a cyst (a fluid-filled sac), FNA is most often performed. An FNA often relieves cyst pain by removing fluid. When a doctor is unsure whether an area on an imaging test is a cyst or a solid mass, an FNA can be helpful. The needle can be guided into the biopsied area by feeling it while the doctor feels it.

A doctor might watch the needle move toward and into the lump on an ultrasound screen if it cannot be felt easily. The procedure is called ultrasound guided FNA.

A breast sample is tested for cancer cells after an FNA is performed to test a suspicious area. As FNA removes only a small amount of tissue and cells, the sample usually needs to be checked immediately under a microscope to make sure no additional samples need to be taken.

FNAs are usually performed in the doctor’s office as outpatient procedures. Anesthetics aren’t always needed, but sometimes numbing medications (called local anesthetics) are used. Due to the thinness of the needle used for the biopsy, anesthetics may hurt more than the biopsy itself.

It usually takes about 15 seconds to get a biopsy sample. Generally, procedures take between 20 and 30 minutes from start to finish when ultrasounds are used.

A biopsy is the only way to definitively diagnose most cancers. If your doctor feels a mass through your skin, they may recommend a fine needle aspiration biopsy. A biopsy may also be recommended if other tests and procedures reveal something suspicious. Image tests, such as ultrasounds, computed tomography (CT) scans, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help guide the biopsy needle to the right spot if the mass is deeper in your body.

To check for cancer, a fine needle aspiration biopsy is commonly performed on the thyroid gland, lymph nodes, breast, liver, lungs, and skin. It can, however, be performed on most body parts.

A pathologist analyzes the tissue collected during the biopsy in a laboratory. A biopsy will reveal whether the tissue removed was from a tumor. The biopsy will reveal whether the tumor is cancerous or benign. Cancerous tumors are malignant, which means they can grow and spread to other parts of the body. Unlike a malignant tumor, a benign tumor can grow but will not spread. Your doctor will use this information to determine whether further diagnostic testing is necessary. This can help them recommend the best treatment plan if further testing is not needed.

Fine needle aspiration biopsy may also be used to assess whether an area of concern is related to cancer spreading elsewhere in the body, known as metastasis, in people who have already been diagnosed with cancer. A second cancer might also be detected if a new and different type of cancer has developed.

While the FNA is being performed, you must lie on your back and remain still. You may feel some pressure as the ultrasound wand and needle are inserted if ultrasound is used. The doctor will use the syringe to remove a small amount of tissue and/or fluid once the needle has been inserted in the right place. It might be necessary to repeat this process several times. Following the procedure, sterile dressings or bandages are applied to the area.

Contact our team at Advanced Gastroenterology of Central Florida (AGCF) to learn more about FNA and the procedures we offer. We serve patients from Kissimmee FL, Orlando FL, St. Cloud FL, Celebration FL, Buenaventura Lakes FL, Meadow Woods FL, Williamsburg FL, and Hunters Creek FL.