US Medical Term · procedures
Biopsy
Biopsia
What it means
A biopsy procedure is the removal of a small piece of tissue for lab examination, and there are several different types. The National Cancer Institute lists the most common as incisional biopsy, in which only a sample of tissue is removed; excisional biopsy, in which an entire lump or suspicious area is removed; and needle biopsy, in which a sample of tissue or fluid is removed with a needle. MedlinePlus says a needle biopsy is done using local anesthesia, while an open biopsy is surgery that uses local or general anesthesia and is done in a hospital operating room. A laparoscopic biopsy uses much smaller surgical cuts than an open biopsy. MedlinePlus lists bleeding and infection as risks of a biopsy.
Biopsy in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Biopsia
- Gender and article
- feminine: la biopsia
- Pronunciation
- bee-OHP-syah
Spanish names for the types of procedure differ between sources. For a needle biopsy, MedlinePlus en español writes biopsia por punción, while the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary writes biopsia con aguja. The NCI dictionary describes the needle as ancha (punción con aguja gruesa) or delgada (aspiración con aguja fina); MedlinePlus en español names the two kinds aspiración con aguja fina and biopsia central. The surgical types in the NCI dictionary are biopsia por incisión and biopsia por excisión.
MedlinePlus en español uses biopsia abierta for an open biopsy and biopsia laparoscópica for a laparoscopic one, and it lists muestra de tejido under Nombres alternativos. The NCI dictionary entry biopsia con sacabocados, also called biopsia en sacabocados, describes a biopsy done with a circular, sharp, hollow instrument. Words for the setting are anestesia local, anestesia general, quirófano (operating room) and incisión (cut).
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Clinician | We will do a needle biopsy, and I will numb the area first with local anesthesia. | Vamos a hacerle una biopsia con aguja, y primero le voy a adormecer la zona con anestesia local. |
| Patient | Will I be conscious during the procedure? | ¿Voy a estar consciente durante el procedimiento? |
| Clinician | Are you taking any blood thinners, herbs, or supplements? | ¿Está tomando anticoagulantes, hierbas o suplementos? |
| Patient | Do I need to stop any of my medicines before the procedure? | ¿Tengo que dejar de tomar alguno de mis medicamentos antes del procedimiento? |
| Clinician | We will use ultrasound to guide the needle to the right place. | Vamos a usar una ecografía para guiar la aguja al lugar correcto. |
| Patient | Will it hurt when the needle goes in? | ¿Me va a doler cuando entre la aguja? |
| Clinician | You may feel some discomfort at the biopsy site afterward. | Es posible que después sienta alguna molestia en el sitio de la biopsia. |
| Patient | What should I do if the area bleeds or looks infected? | ¿Qué debo hacer si la zona sangra o parece infectada? |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Biopsy |
| Spanish (Español) | Biopsia |
| Chinese (中文) | 切片檢查 |
| Korean (한국어) | 생검 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Sinh thiết |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Biopsy |
| Portuguese (Português) | Biópsia |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | การตัดชิ้นเนื้อตรวจ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 生検 |
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: General care: tests, procedures and medicines
All terms in this area: General care: tests, procedures and medicines — Atención general: pruebas, procedimientos y medicamentos
Sources
- Biopsy — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, National Library of Medicine
- Biopsia — MedlinePlus en español (Enciclopedia médica), Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- biopsy — NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms — National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH
- biopsia — Diccionario de cáncer del NCI — Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NCI), NIH
- biopsia con sacabocados — Diccionario de cáncer del NCI — Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NCI), NIH
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026