Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Biopsia con aguja
Needle biopsy (NEE-dul BY-op-see)
The removal of tissue or fluid with a needle for examination under a microscope. When a wide needle is used, the procedure is called a core biopsy. When a thin needle is used, the procedure is called a fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.