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A member asked:
How likely is a false negative result on mole/melanoma biopsy if the doctor only cut out (via a razor blade) a small portion of the mole/melanoma?
3 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
A pathologist can only evaluate the tissue submitted for examination. If there was a melanoma, but it was not excised, then the negative result would be a false negative. A complete excision, not a biopsy, is the proper diagnostic procedure.
Answered 10/16/2021
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Are you sure it was a razor blade and not a scalpel blade? A biopsy doesn't need a large sample for a result to be examined. Any doctor who does biopsies knows how much tissue to cut out .Wait for the result to be determined.
Answered 10/18/2021
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