biopsy
noun
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Matter examined in a biopsy is always taken from a living organism. Most biopsies are done by using a needle to extract tissue or fluid, but some may instead require cutting, and others may amount to nothing more than swabbing the inside of the patient's cheek. Biopsies are best known as a means of detecting cancer, but a doctor may also take a biopsy of heart muscle to investigate suspected heart disease, for example, or perform a biopsy on a pregnant woman to test for disorders in the fetus.
Examples of biopsy in a Sentence
Carla K. Johnson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2024
Eban investigates statements that Mount Sinai researchers repeatedly made that some neurosurgeons were at least ambiguous, and at worst untrue, about the risk of taking the biopsies.
—Rachel Cohrs Zhang Reprints, STAT, 2 May 2024
Participants underwent everything from MRIs to spinal taps to muscle biopsies and comprehensive questionnaires, in hopes of helping Nath’s team find the root causes of their enigmatic condition.
—Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 2 May 2024
However, the task force's analysis found that getting scans every year can yield more false positive results, which can lead to unnecessary biopsies or women receiving treatment for lesions that don’t necessarily pose a health risk.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 30 Apr. 2024
Her doctor then ordered an MRI, which led to an ultrasound and biopsies that found stage 1 invasive cancer in both breasts.
—Andrea Mandell, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
Definitively diagnosing someone with pancreatic cancer can involve a series of scans, blood tests and biopsies, which are typically performed only once someone has symptoms, which may include jaundice or yellowing of the eyes and skin, weight loss, belly or back pain, or tiredness and weakness.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
But mammograms have proved to be less effective for those under age 40, as their breast tissue is denser and screening and biopsies can be unpleasant to endure.
—Danielle Whitham, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
Guardant’s blood test detects colon cancer — with a catch
Guardant Health, among the leaders in the nascent field of liquid biopsy, said its colorectal cancer screening test succeeded in a large study.
—Damian Garde Reprints, STAT, 14 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'biopsy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Biopsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biopsy. Accessed 13 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
biopsy
noun
Medical Definition
biopsy
1 of 2 noun
biopsy
2 of 2 transitive verb
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