What kind of breast biopsy is best? my doctor wants to do a needle biopsy, but when my sister had that the doctor ended up doing surgery to take out the benign lump. wouldnt it make more sense to just do one procedure?

The : The best initial breast biopsy is a needle biopsy. It usually allows the diagnosis to be made in the least invasive way. Many women who have a needle biopsy will not need to have a surgical biopsy. For women who do get a recommendation for a surgical biopsy, having the results of the needle biopsy allows the surgeon to individualize the operation to the patient's circumstances.

Needle biopsy first: Both doctors are right. It is recommended to do a needle biopsy first. Many times if it is benign additional surgery can be avoided. Certain benign lesions may require excision to rule out associated malignancy. I suspect that was the case of your sister. If the needle biopsy showed cancer, then a definitive cancer surgery can be done.

Needle biopsy: Breast core biopsies are extremely accurate. If a benign concordant result is obtained, you avoid unnecessary surgery. If it is malignant, preoperative treatment planning and a more definitive surgery can be performed, rather than possible two surgeries if there is no preop diagnosis. Don't know the specifics of your sister's case, but in general it is best to get the needle biopsy.