Biopsy in Spanish

What it means

A biopsy is a procedure that removes cells or tissue from the body so that they can be examined. A doctor called a pathologist looks at the cells or tissue under a microscope to check for damage or disease, and the pathologist may also do other tests on the sample. Biopsies can be done on all parts of the body. MedlinePlus states that, in most cases, a biopsy is the only test that can tell for sure if a suspicious area is cancer, but that biopsies are performed for many other reasons too. The National Cancer Institute's dictionary defines a biopsy as the removal of cells or tissues for examination by a pathologist. In Spanish the word is biopsia.

Biopsy in Spanish

Spanish term: Biopsia
Gender and article: feminine: la biopsia
Pronunciation: bee-OHP-syah

Biopsia is the word in MedlinePlus en español, in the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary and in the Real Academia Española dictionary, which marks it as a feminine medical term: la biopsia. The dictionary gives it two senses. The first is the extraction and examination of a tissue sample taken from a living being for diagnostic purposes; the second is the tissue sample itself. In a Spanish report, then, la biopsia may name either the procedure or the piece of tissue sent to the lab.

The same dictionary also enters biopsia líquida (liquid biopsy), an analysis of body fluids such as blood or urine. For the doctor who studies the sample, MedlinePlus en español writes un médico llamado patólogo, who examines the cells or tissues bajo un microscopio; the NCI dictionary writes al microscopio. Other words on the MedlinePlus en español page are células (cells), tejidos (tissues) and área sospechosa (suspicious area).

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Clinician	I would like to take a biopsy to find out what this lump is.	Quisiera hacerle una biopsia para saber qué es este bulto.
Patient	Does needing a biopsy mean I have cancer?	¿Necesitar una biopsia significa que tengo cáncer?
Clinician	No. A biopsy is a way to check the tissue, and it is done for many reasons.	No. Una biopsia sirve para examinar el tejido, y se hace por muchas razones.
Patient	Who looks at the sample?	¿Quién examina la muestra?
Clinician	The pathology lab examines it under a microscope and sends me a report.	El laboratorio de patología la examina bajo el microscopio y me envía un informe.
Patient	How long will the biopsy results take?	¿Cuánto tardarán los resultados de la biopsia?
Patient	Can I have a copy of the pathology report?	¿Me pueden dar una copia del informe de patología?
Patient	I had a biopsy of my thyroid two years ago at another clinic.	Me hicieron una biopsia de tiroides hace dos años en otra clínica.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Biopsy
Spanish (Español)	Biopsia
Chinese (中文)	活體組織切片
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

lab reportchartdischarge summarybill

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

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.